Another "funny" Customer...gotta Love This One!
Decorating By KeltoKel Updated 11 Mar 2009 , 2:04am by CeeTee
I was contacted yesterday by a lady who wants 2 cakes for this weekend. She left an order on my machine like it would be done without any problems. I had to think about it since she called 6 days before she wanted the order and I already had one cake for the weekend.
None the less, I figured it wouldn't be a problem so emailed her some ideas. The cake she picked was a cake with fondant make-up and a mini purse on it. The cake was to feed 15 people and I quoted her a price of $85.
Well, she didn't like the $85 price tag and asked her a smaller cake. I told her the $85 wasn't b/c I was making her a extra large cake, it was b/c she wanted fondant make-up and a fondant covered purse on top of the cake to feed 15 people.
Sooo.....I get an email from her this morning -
"Dear Kelly - I tried making my own fondant last night after seeing recipe's on line. I wanted to see if I could make the cake myself. It was a sticky mess and I guess I didn't have enough 10X sugar.
I have decided to go with the $45 cake with just the fondant accents and will just get the other cake from the market. Also, if you don't have time to do this cake, I understand. I wasn't sure how you did this so if it is too much, that is OK. Thanks so much..."
I thought you would enjoy this one...!
You have to give her credit for trying! And now she has a better idea of what's involved, so you might not get any arguments from her about prices in the future. Sounds like she's willing to stay within her budget now instead of trying to get something super elaborate for a walmart price.
Maybe we should give every customer the chance to try to make their own fondant 
I love it when customers or people in general, see how hard it is & how much time it takes to make just one cake & the accessories to go with it! Sometimes I tell people I know how long it takes me to make a completed cake, their mouths drop everytime! haha
Luv it! Just luv it!!
I posted on another thread today that teaching people how to make cakes/cookies does not mean you will lose them as a customer. What I have found is that it causes them to say, "Holy crap, I have no interest in working that hard! Here's my money ... make my cake."
well you gotta give her props for trying. I tried to teach a class at my community center on cake decorating, just the real basics like making BC and icing a cake smooth. By the end everyone agreed that I should just make the cakes for them because doing it was just to hard.
Luv it! Just luv it!!
I posted on another thread today that teaching people how to make cakes/cookies does not mean you will lose them as a customer. What I have found is that it causes them to say, "Holy crap, I have no interest in working that hard! Here's my money ... make my cake."
I have had the same comments made to me.
I love that this customer tried to make her own and screwed it up. Maybe we should all suggest it, like someone else said.
Michele
I was contacted yesterday by a lady who wants 2 cakes for this weekend. She left an order on my machine like it would be done without any problems.
I loved the rest of your post, but what I've quoted above is what really chapped my hide recently.
I donated a certificate for a cake for 75 to a charity event held on 2/28/09. The certificate is good for one year. I always specify that in order to redeem, the request must be made no less than 2 weeks before the event. I also make it clear that certain times of the year are busier than others and that I travel a bit.
On 3/7/09, the certificate winner leaves a message and an e-mail telling me how she looking forward to me to doing her big 30th birthday cake--on 3/21/09--and that she really hopes that I can do it because SHE'S ALREADY SENT OUT THE INVITES.
This tells me that she (probably) impulsively bid on the certificate, assuming that I could do the cake (I wasn't at the event, but she could have gotten the phone # off of the certificate and called before bidding) AND that she didn't have a prior arrangement for a cake--for a big party that is only 2 weeks away.
Bad planning on her part, because I can't do the cake. I e-mailed her and I've left her a phone message--she's responded to neither, and I'm betting that when we finally talk, she won't be a happy camper.
Why, why, why, do so many people assume that we have no life aside from waiting for their one, precious order????????? Why are we bad guys when they've failed in their planning??????????
Just my .02 rant.
Rae
Why, why, why, do so many people assume that we have no life aside from waiting for their one, precious order????????? Why are we bad guys when they've failed in their planning??????????
Same reason we assume people are dumb when they want a $1000 cake for $100 
We're human!! We can't see beyond our own happy little rose colored bubbles sometimes 
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