If She Weren't Pregnant, I'd....(Vent)
Decorating By lecrn Updated 12 Oct 2007 , 4:19am by BrandisBaked
Everyone has made very good points.
I am just offended at the presumption that I can hold the cake. She doesn't know my schedule, my volume, my storage capacity. If the client hadn't rec'd a call to confirm the pick up time, would she have even called the baker to postpone? Sounds like this conversation took place only at the incentive of the cake decorator.
I've seen too many posts on here from decorators complaining about people who dont' pick up when they say they will; about people who want to pick it up 4 hours or 4 days later; about people who assume we have nothing else to do except sit around and wait for it to be convenient for THEM to take care of the cake they ordered/contracted for.
It's odd that now in this thread it's considered no big deal? 
The question was asked: How would you handle this situation?
I would have told her if she wanted to re-freeze the cake and take the responsibility for it (as the client did offer to do), then I would have finished the cake for her to pick up and store in her freezer.
To me ..... baked, filled and crumb-coated is only about 20 minutes away from being completed. In that regard, I disagree with the above comments on how the cake "wasn't done" yet.
I go above and beyond on a lot of services I offer to my brides/clients so please don't think I'm anti-customer service.
I just don't have a layaway plan for cakes.
If a decorator is asked to hold a cake and they don't have the freezer space then they should say, "sorry, but I don't have the room...i will need you to pick the cake up". I think most of us feel like it is no big deal because the lady offered to pay for her mistake and for a new cake.
If I would have mistaken the date of the party(which I've done) and ordered a cake, I might have called also to see what my options were also. Its not stupid, rude or inconsiderate.
I have to agree with indydebi, if you are going to be in business then run it like a business. People tend to show more respect for you and your business when you do so. I have been in the daycare business for 22 years and learned very early on, that if you don't run it like a business you are in big trouble. People will take advantage if and when they can, I am not trying to be negative, but it really is the truth. I think I would finish the cake and give her a call ask her to pick it up and she can store it in her freezer.. What if every cake you had due that week, the customer called and said, Can you hold the cake??? That leaves you in a very bad situation, not to mention short on money!
Hm. I fail to see how the customer was rude or inconsiderate in this situation. She did offer to pay for the cake and another (if you had the time to make another). She sounded very gracious and was willing to take blame if the cake didn't taste as she expected. Did you ask her to pick up the cake and store it herself?
hmmm..Indydebi you said something that make me wonder about the whole thing. I wonder why she called the afternoon before to find out the pickup time the next day? Maybe this is not the first time she has forgotten. I get that info when the original cake order is made. Now if they haven't shown up within about 15 minutes after the stated time, I call.
Indydebi don't be offended, you seem like a very reasonable person and level-headed, and I don't think anyone was assuming anything. One thing I have learned is that everyones cake situation is different, that doesn't make them wrong if they are different than mine, its just different.
Jibbies
Indydebbi-Obviously you provide wonderful customer service, you're very successful at what you do and wouldn't be if you didn't.
Of course, if I didn't have the space or time to deal with holding the cake I wouldn't do it. It's a favor for the customer that if I can do it, I will...even though it's her fault that there's a problem.
Compared to many, I'm just a small time baker. I don't do a ton of cakes so I usually have the luxury of being very flexible...although someone must have put the word out that I was going on vacation, because all of a sudden the orders are flooding in!!
I do wonder too though why the baker had to call the customer. Seems to me that it was the customer who should have been calling first. Inconsiderate? Sounds like it, but I was just comparing her to some of the horror stories we read here everyday. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the customer from hell, this one ranks about a 5 for me. 
As a mother who had three kids (and one miscarraige) in 4 years, I tend to know a little about the pregnant woman's mind 
There was in fact a study done that shows while pregnancy a woman's brain does shrink and it takes about 6 months after delivery to return to normal. For a cute, yet informative, analysis of the study you can check out this link:
http://homewizard.yourpower2be.com/brainshrinkageduringpregnancy.html
When I'm pregnant, I cannot think clearly, I need my calendar by my side or I'd never get to my appointments, I'm forgetful, etc...It really can happen...and the study proves that
Just my thought on the matter! Jodie
Indydebbi-Obviously you provide wonderful customer service, you're very successful at what you do and wouldn't be if you didn't.
Of course, if I didn't have the space or time to deal with holding the cake I wouldn't do it. It's a favor for the customer that if I can do it, I will...even though it's her fault that there's a problem.
Compared to many, I'm just a small time baker. I don't do a ton of cakes so I usually have the luxury of being very flexible...although someone must have put the word out that I was going on vacation, because all of a sudden the orders are flooding in!!
I do wonder too though why the baker had to call the customer. Seems to me that it was the customer who should have been calling first. Inconsiderate? Sounds like it, but I was just comparing her to some of the horror stories we read here everyday. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the customer from hell, this one ranks about a 5 for me.
I would just like to say that just because a person is pregnant, it does not make them stupid or inconsiderate, so please don't label pregnant women as such. I am pregnant, having my baby in the morning, in fact. I have not had any problems with my IQ decreasing, nor have I miraculously become ill-mannered. I have found that people make mistakes, all people. That is what this woman has done. Perhaps she was a bit inconsiderate, but at least she is paying for her mistake. A lot of people would not even have the character to offer that. I would ask that you just smile and know that you are offering a kindness to someone else by being flexible in the situation. (But hey, it is okay to vent the steam!
)
After I posted this, I realized that someone may be offended by this. I'm not "labeling pregnant women as such". She actually stated that she had "pregnancy brain", whatever that means. I've never been pregnant (unfortunately), and I really wanted to ask for some opinions on the subject. I know that people make mistakes, but I was the one that called to confirm pick-up. She said that she had left a note to call me. When was she going to call, the day of the pick-up?
That being said, I'm sorry if I offended you or anyone else that may have read this. That was certainly not my intention.
Thanks everyone for your replies & advice. It's great to tell someone who understands. Just to answer a few questions: If I didn't have space in my freezer, I would have told her so. She was the one that suggested freezing it. She said that she would buy the cake for her office & still order the cake for next wk. I guess I was just a little surprised & acted with a kind heart. If I had many orders next week (instead of one), I would have said that I couldn't do it. Most of the decor was already done (bow, dots). I only had to make MMF pearls. So, actually, it was just a matter of frosting & sticking stuff on the cake. The cake was ordered to look like my teal & brown cake (only pink & brown).
It's great to be flexible & all to retain customers, but I agree that there needs to be a line. I just need to figure out when to draw it. This is not my "real job", although I would love it to be, so I don't have loads of time to make cakes. It takes some planning (and neglect of my DH) to do what I love. I also need to increase my volume of customers. So, I guess that's why I needed to vent. It was out of frustration that someone could thick that it only took one day to "do a cake". Also, I wonder if she was going to call me at all.
One more thing: I wouldn't know anything about contracts as of yet. I currently have a "customer order" sheet. Maybe that's something that I will look into in the future.
THX!
Everyone has made very good points.
I am just offended at the presumption that I can hold the cake. She doesn't know my schedule, my volume, my storage capacity. If the client hadn't rec'd a call to confirm the pick up time, would she have even called the baker to postpone? Sounds like this conversation took place only at the incentive of the cake decorator.
I've seen too many posts on here from decorators complaining about people who dont' pick up when they say they will; about people who want to pick it up 4 hours or 4 days later; about people who assume we have nothing else to do except sit around and wait for it to be convenient for THEM to take care of the cake they ordered/contracted for.
It's odd that now in this thread it's considered no big deal?
The question was asked: How would you handle this situation?
I would have told her if she wanted to re-freeze the cake and take the responsibility for it (as the client did offer to do), then I would have finished the cake for her to pick up and store in her freezer.
To me ..... baked, filled and crumb-coated is only about 20 minutes away from being completed. In that regard, I disagree with the above comments on how the cake "wasn't done" yet.
I go above and beyond on a lot of services I offer to my brides/clients so please don't think I'm anti-customer service.
I just don't have a layaway plan for cakes.
I just love you! You tell it exactly how it is! Maybe one day I'll have a booming busness & grow a pair. 
I'd just hold the cake and say "no problem".
I treat people how I would like to be treated - and God forbid it was ME who screwed up something about an order. I'd want someone to understand that I was human and that we ALL make mistakes.
And after 5 children, I believe that each one steals about 1/5th of your brain cells and they never come back.
Dur... *drools*
As for picking cakes up on time, I schedule a two hour time frame and it's agreed to in writing. They can choose when during that time frame they show up... and after that, I'm free to leave or go about my life as usual. And they may or may not get their order - and they certainly won't get their money back. Gotta say, never had anyone miss their allotted time frame.
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