I don't know what I should say to this....

I got an inquiry from my ad on theknot.com. The lady says she works for a cake decorating company and will have a fake cake for display, and wants sheet cakes to serve. So I won't be doing the display.

I don't like this. I feel funny about serving cake when I didn't make the display. Is that odd? But I don't know how to respond to the ad. "Thanks for your interest but I don't feel comfortable with that scenario"??

Seriously....what would you say? How would you phrase it? I don't want to sound elitist or snobby. After all, the dummy cake may look better than anything I'm cabable of, who knows? But it just sits wrong with me. Seems like trying to put one over on the guests.....or something weird like that. I'd just feel better if whatever they are looking at and eating are the same thing, from the same baker. What if the dummy does look like crap? When eating my sheet cakes, will they think "She can bake, but she can't decorate worth a hoot." ? KWIM?

You can just say, sorry, I'm booked.

I wouldn't do it. She can take credit for your work, or blame you for the failure

Let me get this straight. This is not just free advertising, they are paying you to do some easy peasy cakes right?

I'd ask a few questions about the design on the dummy & I'd definitely consider doing this.

Don't encourage that crap. Tell her to hit the road and anyone in business who does backups is an idiot. I mean, thanks for making the rest of us suffer. IMHO

I'd like to smack some magazine editors right on the back of the head.

To quote Nancy Reagan, "Just say no" Wagging finger omitted for brevity.

Is she kidding? So she can make claim that those cakes are from her company? I supposes she wants a quantity discount, too?

You need to be a snob, elitist, whatever you want to call it.

Here's what I would say -

I'm sorry, but I cannot risk the high-quality reputation of my products by mingling them with the products of other bakers, including fake cakes.

Theresa

I would just say that if you were doing the dummy cake you would consider it but you feel its a conflict of interest.
See, people like Rachel Ray have things on their shows about how to get away doing weddings "cheap". She featured a company that does only dummy cakes that you rent and it has a piece of real cake in it for the cutting. Then they suggest doing what she is doing, getting really cheap sheet cakes somewhere.
It really doesnt end up being cheapr because renting the dummy is very expensive. You have to not only pay for the use but also send it back and heavens to bid if someone damages it, your in the whole for the total cost.
I really dont think they think of the artists point of view on this. Its not just a cake,its an edible piece of art. So to do something like that I really take it personally to me its my creation (yeah you can throw in the evil Frankenstein laugh) and to tell me that Im not good enough for the artist part but Im ok to get you off cheap with a sheet cake, I feel is a low blow.

ditto....say no...I have been asked to do sheets for a wedding that someone else was doing the cake...no way...We did a wedding cake once and someone brought sheetcakes, not known to us.. when we delivered the cake, it was great but the sheetcakes looked like " fill in you favorite wd"... I was so embarassed by those sheet cakes, cracked and hideous, I mean hideous decoratings...it looks like a 1st grader played....I was afraid someone would think we made them...I tasted them when we picked up our stuff, they didn't taste anybetter than they looked...always ask now before I say yes....If we do the cake, we do the sheet cakes.

Well......I guess "I'm booked" would be the easiest way. I guess I was trying to see if phrasing it the right way would get her to just order the cake from me, with no dummy. She's probably getting her dummy deeply discounted, though, since she works there.

But I do feel it's a low blow....kind of like weirkd said. And I can't figure a good way to let her know that I'd be willing to help her make a beautiful wedding cake in budget but just can't participate in this situation.

Guess I'll just say "I'm booked" and let it go. Thanks for the input0

ditto....say no...I have been asked to do sheets for a wedding that someone else was doing the cake...no way...We did a wedding cake once and someone brought sheetcakes, not known to us.. when we delivered the cake, it was great but the sheetcakes looked like " fill in you favorite wd"... I was so embarassed by those sheet cakes, cracked and hideous, I mean hideous decoratings...it looks like a 1st grader played....I was afraid someone would think we made them...I tasted them when we picked up our stuff, they didn't taste anybetter than they looked...always ask now before I say yes....If we do the cake, we do the sheet cakes.

am I missing something here? she has a dummy cake from a cake decorating company...but she needs someone to make actual cake??? wouldn't THEY be able to make cake?

I wouldn't do it though...passing off your cake as there's is a no no. I wouldn't do it.

I'm not in the business and I would not consider doing this one. If she's getting a dummy cake from her company, why not the real cake? Not good enough? (Or maybe they don't work with real cake??? ) Sounds like free advertising for her company, to me. I can't imagine her (who works for a cake decorating company) telling everyone that comments that she got the fake cake display from work and the real cake from somewhere else. I'm a trusting person, yet I have a real hard time picturing the truth being told and karateka getting the credit she deserves here.

karateka ~ How about doing a quick price analysis for her? If you want the business, maybe if you point out what she's not really saving, you can win her over.

Whatever happens, I wish you sweet blessings!

ditto....say no...I have been asked to do sheets for a wedding that someone else was doing the cake...no way...We did a wedding cake once and someone brought sheetcakes, not known to us.. when we delivered the cake, it was great but the sheetcakes looked like " fill in you favorite wd"... I was so embarassed by those sheet cakes, cracked and hideous, I mean hideous decoratings...it looks like a 1st grader played....I was afraid someone would think we made them...I tasted them when we picked up our stuff, they didn't taste anybetter than they looked...always ask now before I say yes....If we do the cake, we do the sheet cakes.

For some reason I'm thinking this is a bridal show?

Is this a wedding?

This is very confusing.

Is this for a cake shop? Or for a cake decorating company that sells cake decorating stuff???I mean why would a for real cake shop want anyone else to do the cakes??? What am I missing??? I don't understand.

Well I would just say that you were booked. Its one of those what I call a Big Red Flag situation. If your gut is telling you that something is odd about it, then your probably right. Ive went against my gut a few times and kicked myself for it.
Or you can just be honest and say you dont feel comfortable with that situation and that you would happy to sit down with her and work with her budget. And that way you dont come off as a snob, and you also let them know that your not a pushover either. And you dont get in trouble for fibbing!

I had someone contact me for the same thing.

I responded, Our policy is that no 'kitchen cakes' are allowed unless provided our company. The reason is that with every cake our reputation is on the line and we want every cake your guests eat to be our high quality. In the same respect, we will not provide kitchen cakes if the display cake is not provided by our company, this will leave your guests with a false impression of the capabilities of our company.

I then offered her a time that she could set up a consultation for me to provide her entire order.

She wrote back and said she understood completely, thanks for being honest, but that she would probably just get them from Sam's.

Good luck!!

Why not get all of the details first? If only to understand why she's approached you.

ok can i just say, send me the info and we can talk then see if it is a scam and turn her in to theBBB. That will get her or him. I just had to do that with someone from craigs list with my portable dishwasher i am trying to sell.

I would send this:

Thanks for your interest, unfortunately, we only do sheet cakes to supplement larger wedding cake orders...with that said, we do not accept sheet cake only orders.