I Am So Mad I Could Spit!

Business By Mamas Updated 4 Jun 2008 , 4:09pm by Vivicake

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venefica Posted 3 Jun 2008 , 5:37pm
post #31 of 41

99% of people who claim that they are going to take legal action never actually do. It is a scare tactic. She is going to have to front the money for an attorney and all fees which will equal a lot more then the $100 that she is after. Unless she found a dead chicken in her cake I wouldn't refund her... not one single cent! But that is just me. I'm sick and tired of people taking advantage of me and I am not going to take it anymore.

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Merry1227 Posted 3 Jun 2008 , 6:00pm
post #32 of 41

I only read the first page, I'm with everyone else! I worked retail for 10 years, before being a stay at home mommy! You learn the people who are cheap. I had one lady who sat in a dressing room with a seam ripper and RIPPED the seams in a shirt so she could get it discounted. (she didn't get one) Now if the cake had fallen, was destroyed, or was not what she had order, Then the refund. Or Refund and you NEVER make her a cake again. You as the business owner do have a right to refuse business for whatever reason.
That is just the nature of some people, Bully until they get what they want.
Take it in stride, make your next cake. She will get hers. Don't ever forget, a bathroom is a great place for screaming out frustration, great acoustics.

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rebekahjohnson81 Posted 3 Jun 2008 , 10:22pm
post #33 of 41

no lawyer's gonna touch a case like that. it's a monumental waste of time. tell her to take a long walk off a short pier. icon_biggrin.gif

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Mamas Posted 3 Jun 2008 , 11:43pm
post #34 of 41
Quote:
Originally Posted by thems_my_kids


You told her you needed her to sign your contract as-is, you should have stuck to that. When she sent you "her" version, you should have called her right away to re-do it. It's one thing to be able to work with a difficult person, it's totally another when they are trying to railroad you. The nerve of some people! I'm sorry you are having to deal with this. I would be livid.




I did stick to that and I think that was part of the problem. I failed to be impressed by her "expertise" and her level of "professionalism"

I went ballistic about the contract issue but gritted my teeth and as pleasantly as I could muster explained that I was not interested in changing the contract in any way at this time. She insisted and I finally had to tell her that her changes were verbose and would unnesicsarily intimidate my clientelle. I think that went up her a$$ like freight train becasue I was unable to get in contact with her until 2 1/2 weeks later when she called to complain about the cake.

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Mamas Posted 3 Jun 2008 , 11:47pm
post #35 of 41
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ednarooni

All of these messages you are getting are good advice.. No, I only came on and saw some of the responses, it was only showing part of the forum.. I didn't know that you had taken pictures. I can only tell you from one perspective, as my husband runs a landscaping business. She (the client in question) sounds like shes done this a "few" times, and knows how to intimidate and/or manipulate people. Why she would even suggest giving you advice concerning a contract is strange to me unless she wanted to see what you would do and/or how you would respond. My husbands theory is, "the client is always right" when it's under a certain amount, if it's over a certain amount, he gives it to our business attorney. The time you fight it, it's not worth the time you could be making more money... I will say this, even though you probably WILL NOT agree with me. THIS was a GOOD thing that happened to you...better to run into someone NOW like this, so you know how to deal with future customers like this. You will have a feel for the red flags...sort of speak.. My husband even has a feel for certain people when he BIDS on jobs now...and that's how it is, you have to have the bad customers at least once or twice to make sure you don't KEEP getting them.lol
Good luck..




I absolutely agree with you and that is one of the main reasons I agreed to a partial refund. I saw her coming from a mile away and still allowed myself to be drawn in. I agree that this was probably her plan from the beginning but I really need to be done with this at this point.

I am far from a push over and never run from a good fight but I have been told by my business partner that I need to tone it down a little because I have been a little aggressive and "divaish" (her words not mine)about my cake. I have turned down clients who request certain color combinations that annoy me; I wanted to turn down a client that wanted me to wrap my pumpkin mini loaves in bright orange celophane like a tootsie roll as cake favors for an autumn wedding . . . this chick came along at the right/wrong time. I was trying to turn over a new leaf and force myself to deal with the annoying as well as the pleasant. Unfortunately this lady was more than annoying . . . I am convinced that she is a hustler and I got hustled.

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terrig007 Posted 3 Jun 2008 , 11:51pm
post #36 of 41
Quote:
Originally Posted by LaurynBrook

It's pretty sad that they are petty enough to let this ruin a baby shower for God's sake. I mean, I like to think at my baby shower I will be too overjoyed about becoming a mother that the cake will be small potatoes. That's just me.



That's what I was thinking. I remember being so happy I was finally becoming a mother that I don't even remember much about the cake. I just feel bad for you that this has happened.

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ATCakes Posted 4 Jun 2008 , 3:01am
post #37 of 41

Because of people like this, we are going to have to add lines in our contracts that state "E-mails do not substitute for contract confirmations;
a signed contract and deposit to hold the date will be required." Or something along those lines. Emails are becoming an easy excuse to trap people--the old "I sent you an email" line is being overused.

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Mamas Posted 4 Jun 2008 , 4:48am
post #38 of 41
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATCakes

Because of people like this, we are going to have to add lines in our contracts that state "E-mails do not substitute for contract confirmations;
a signed contract and deposit to hold the date will be required." Or something along those lines. Emails are becoming an easy excuse to trap people--the old "I sent you an email" line is being overused.




I have a lot of things to think about going foward concerning my contract. Unfortunately I am going to have to sit down and put some teeth in it. My contract is very basic with enough teeth to cover me just in case. . . its sole purpose, originally, was to make sure my friends, family, friends of friends and friends of family understood that this was a business arrangement and that there would be consequences if they did not act accordingly.

I have to admit to being a little saddened by it. I wish I could continue to run my little lemonade stand without all this hullabuloo. Anybody have any suggestions or pointers? Perhaps that should be a new thread . . .

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indydebi Posted 4 Jun 2008 , 11:36am
post #39 of 41

my father in law ran an auto repair biz for over 60 years. His stance was that he would work with any customer who was unhappy .... until they mentioned the word "lawyer" .... then he kicked them out of the garage and wouldn't talk to them anymore. If they want to get lawyers involved, then all bets are off and the customer can wait for the lawyers to sort it out. Customer could "be a man" and work it out amicably between the two of them ..... but FIL refused to deal with folks once they crossed the "a$$hole" line.

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Mamas Posted 4 Jun 2008 , 1:55pm
post #40 of 41

Indydeb, this is going to be a part of my new company policy!

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Vivicake Posted 4 Jun 2008 , 4:09pm
post #41 of 41

I do not run a cake business but if I were you, I would stay "divaish" as your business partner calls it, at least when it comes to customers like these who try to take advantage of you. As a compromise I would stop turning down clients who request annoying color combinations, it's their party! icon_smile.gif

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