I mainly bake for friends and family and I still include a small cutting guide on top of the box. It says for example, your 10" round cake will serve 21 people by cutting 2"x2" pieces...etc., etc. and has a small diagram of the cake and what it should look like cut. I know it's crazy, but I'm a little OCD on this matter too. It only takes a minute to do and lets everyone know what a real cake serving size should be (even though a 2" piece is a little larger than what most people use).
Maybe I'm the odd one here, but once I have the $$ I don't care how the slice it up. If I'm there and am asked to cut, I don't mind and I will. I've instructed people how, and I will admit I took the knive out of the hand of a worker at a nursing home where I do the b'day cakes and cut it myself. She was cutting squares. One at a time.. not slicing down the cake.. cutting squares--or maybe I should call them *pieces* I took over when she decided to cut one out of the middle.. not work to the middle--just cut a hole in the middle of the cake.
I get very annoyed when people are eating or admiring my cakes/cookies and they say "I'd like to do that (decorate) but I just don't have any time..." It always seems to come from someone I just know wouldn't be able to even bake a chocolate chip cookie let alone make a decorated cake! I usually say that I don't have time except at 1 am...but what am I supposed to say??
Maybe I'm the odd one here, but once I have the $$ I don't care how the slice it up. If I'm there and am asked to cut, I don't mind and I will. I've instructed people how, and I will admit I took the knive out of the hand of a worker at a nursing home where I do the b'day cakes and cut it myself. She was cutting squares. One at a time.. not slicing down the cake.. cutting squares--or maybe I should call them *pieces* I took over when she decided to cut one out of the middle.. not work to the middle--just cut a hole in the middle of the cake.
You know, I don't care either as long as I don't have to cut it! Most of the time the brides at my church just ASSUME that I'm going to be the one to cut the cake(s) because I'm going to be there. Most of the time I do....but, I LOVE when they say "I have someone, thank you" I want to jump up and down and say "NO! THANK YOU!" LOL
Beth in KY
I also hate when people come to pick up their cakes and they are squashing it right in front of you,all in the name of carrying it to the car, 
you try to warn them on how to handle it but they don't listen.They get into their cars and call you 30 minutes later "oh the cake dropped,squashed,whatever" ,so what what i'm i supposed to do....replace it?
I hate when you work really hard to make a really nice cake, you bring it to the event and set it up. And the hostess, or someone else starts picking at it, taking flowers off because they're so cute she wants to save one, cutting a slice to save for Aunt Esther who can't make it, puts it on the table behind the pile of smores, all so that the cake is a shambles before the guests even arrive to see what you intended it to look like.
I want to yell, "stop touching it until everyone gets to see it!!!"
Do you think it's appropriate to give a cake cutting guide (diagram) with the cake or attach it to the inside of the box? I think most people are just clueless when it comes to this. I've often wondered if this would be helpful. Thoughts?
I haven't read through all of the replies yet, but when I came to yours I wanted to chime in. I have started doing exactly this especially when I am not attending the function or cutting/serving the cake myself. I don't want to get a call the next day with someone saying "The cake was supposed to serve 50 and only served 30", so I include a cake cutting guide whether they ask or not and it seems to really help.
I don't mind when my cakes get hacked up, as long as everyone gets a chance to look at them first. But I absolutely HATE when people try to insist that *I* cut it. I just spent 3 days baking, frosting, decorating, and cursing that cake. I'm not going to be it's undoing. lol. I get a little sentimental over it.
At least they are hacking your cake up. I made a halloween cake that everyone thought was just too cute. And they wouldn't even touch it! I was like, I just spent 10 hours making that...I'm going to stuff it down your throat.
i know how that feels lol
I get very annoyed when people are eating or admiring my cakes/cookies and they say "I'd like to do that (decorate) but I just don't have any time..." It always seems to come from someone I just know wouldn't be able to even bake a chocolate chip cookie let alone make a decorated cake! I usually say that I don't have time except at 1 am...but what am I supposed to say??
I get this a lot. People tell me that they don't have the time, or that they're not creative enough to make cakes. I tell them that we all have the same amount of time, they just choose to do something else with theirs. Most of my friends scrapbook, I don't. I tell them that scrapping is their creative outlet, caking is mine. They make time to scrap because they enjoy it. I make time to cake because I enjoy it.
Oh, and I LOVE to cut my own cakes!!! People tell me that they don't want to cut it because it's too pretty/cute/whatever, but I tell them that it tastes even better then it looks. 
OK, so someone cutting my cake doesn't really bother me, I mean I made it so that they can eat it, right? However, I can see how it would really bother me if I actually saw them cut it. Most of my customers are the type that says, "It's just a cake, we are just gonna eat it anyway!" That bothers me a lot. I mean I spent time and effort to make a cake, and that just downplays my talent I guess. My biggest pet peeve, though, would have to be when someone calls me two hours before I leave (grocery store artist...for the moment!) and asks for a cake that they want done before I leave. Man, if you want to get me hot...thats a pretty good darn way!
1.I hate when a client keeps calling me to update them on the state of the cake while I'm working, I just tell them to wait till the agreed delivery time to call cos it will surely be ready
2.I've had a couple of clients call me up at 5.30-6.a.m on delivery day to ask if they can get their cakes and Iwas spitting mad cos there I am trying to catch up on my sleep and this inconsiderate clients cannot wait till daylight!!! My husband on one occasion had to tell off one particular
persistent client ,
3.Ihate hate hate when people think what we do is magic 
like when someone calls and asks for a very detailed cake and wonders why they cannot have it the next day 
1.I hate when a client keeps calling me to update them on the state of the cake while I'm working, I just tell them to wait till the agreed delivery time to call cos it will surely be ready
2.I've had a couple of clients call me up at 5.30-6.a.m on delivery day to ask if they can get their cakes and Iwas spitting mad
cos there I am trying to catch up on my sleep and this inconsiderate clients cannot wait till daylight!!! My husband on one occasion had to tell off one particular persistent client ,
3.Ihate hate hate when people think what we do is magic
like when someone calls and asks for a very detailed cake and wonders why they cannot have it the next day
Yes yes yes to all of these!!
I had one customer call (I'm also a grocery store decorator at the moment). She had a very large cake with 5 edible image placed in a very specific way on it. She ordered a week ahead of time. 4 days ahead, she called and said "So how's my cake coming?" I said it'd be ready on Thursday. She asked to see the edible images. I said they weren't printed yet or else they'd dry out. So she said in the most disappointed voice, "Oh, so there's nothing I can come look at?" Well duh lady, we haven't started it yet. You wanna eat cake that's been sitting around for days?
People who show up early for cakes, (at my home) can stand outside and wait. I have a white noise machine, can't hear the doorbell. I make it clear that pickup start at 9am (earlier only on special exceptions). Not my fault if they show up at 5am.
And that last one. Oh that kills me. I can't count how often people walk into my store and want such-and-such large detailed cake with little figures on it and everything and want that ASAP...as in today. Think again pal. I don't feel bad for you, but I do feel sorry for your husband/wife/daughter/dog that you forgot to get them a cake for their birthday/anniversary/going away party/whatever. We have a 48 hour policy for a reason.
My biggest pet peeve is when I deliver a wedding cake and I am setting it up or putting the final touches on it and I have someone hanging over my shoulder. I delivered one a couple of weeks ago to a big inn and one of the custodians was hanging around asking me all kinds of questions like how much did the cake cost (of course I didn't tell him) and then he had the nerve to say they had one in there the week before that was bigger than the one I had and it looked better to!!!!!!!!!! DH got him away before he got a face full of frosting. I just don't like people hanging over my shoulder.
What's bad is not being asked to cut a cake you made yourself. What's bad, is attending a party where they got a questionably made grocery store bakery cake...and then nobody knows how to cut it...so they nab the "cake lady" (me) to cut it...so now everybody thinks since I'm cutting it, I MADE it! 
Cornstarch is ok. I hate shortening though. EWWWW. I don't like making icing, period.
Okay...I have a list....
1. hate it when they don't want to cut the cake cause "it's too pretty"
2. hate it when they hack it to death as well-I mean seriously?
3. hate it when they ask ME to cut the cake because I'm really sick of cake by this point
4. hate it when they all "rag" on me for not eating any of my own cake if I am attending the event-I get sick of smelling cake!
5. hate it when people probe me for like recipes or how I decorated something-like they are thinking about taking this skill up-I mean, I do this for a living!
My pet peeve is MEN--as in men without a clue trying to order a birthday cake for their wife/girlfriend/daughter--whatever.
After 10 minutes on the phone discussing flavors, cake sizes, colors and possible decorations, the inevitable statement: "Why do your cakes cost x amount of dollars when I can get the same cake at Costco for $16.99?" Or better yet, "I am just taking a crap shoot ordering a cake from you, because all I have to go on is your web site. How do I know your cakes are any good?"
I cut a guy loose just last week after a conversation much like this one. I told him that I thought he would be happier if he bought his wife's cake from Costco. I know I was! 
Our business is just under 2 years old. We rarely go out let alone to parties because most of them are Saturdays and that is my busiest day. When I do get to go out I want to look cute and not smell like Eau de Buttercream. So I have to say, my biggest pet peeve is being invited to a party that I made a cake for and being expected to cut the dang thing too. Can't I just look cute and go to the party??? Do I have go back to work once I get there??!
Nannie, I completely understand! I work at the hospital 80-100 hours a week, I'm in charge of two research projects, give frequent lectures, and see my patients. I have three perfect kids and a Godsend of a hubby. And yet I want to do something nice by making a friend a cake for a baby shower or bachelorette party, and I get some moron saying something like "Oh, I wish I had TIME to do this sort of thing!". One day, I'm going to cut someone.
....
Ehem. 
I think my biggest cake related pet peeve is when people call and ask you prices, even though you have them listed on your website.
Also, when they want a sheet cake or "small" cake. "Why is it so expensive if it's so small?" Well, I don't work for free. You still have to pay my hourly price, not just for ingredients...duh
Also, if I am there when the cake is eaten, I HATE HATE HATE when people scrape the fork on their teeth. OMG, I just wanna choke them. It gives me the creeps...I had to "train" my husband to stop eating like that.
Okay...I have a list....
1. hate it when they don't want to cut the cake cause "it's too pretty"
2. hate it when they hack it to death as well-I mean seriously?
3. hate it when they ask ME to cut the cake because I'm really sick of cake by this point
4. hate it when they all "rag" on me for not eating any of my own cake if I am attending the event-I get sick of smelling cake!
5. hate it when people probe me for like recipes or how I decorated something-like they are thinking about taking this skill up-I mean, I do this for a living!
----
Liapsim, seriously are you the voice in my head???????? Your list is everything I cant stand to a tee!!!!!!
I also have a list.
1. I hate when someone calls you to order a cake on Monday which they need by Friday and they have no idea what they want but they want it to WOW everyone. Then they say I will call you back tomorrow to finalize everything. You do not hear from them until Wednesday when they call and ask how the cake is coming. Well since you never told me for sure what you wanted it ain't coming.
2. Hate it when you make a cake and attend the event where the person thinks a certain part of the cake is so cute and they do not want to cut that part so they cut tiny pieces for everyone so they can keep that certain part.
3. Hate when people are ordering a cake from you and they ask do you really think that you can do that or do you need to get back with me on it. Well I would not take your cake order if I did not feel like I could do it.
and the list goes on and on and on.....
Besides most of the issues on here. I can't stand when people think I should give them a cake. Yes, I do this as a hobby, but ingredients are free. Even though people know I do cakes, they prefer a store bought cake just because they feel they shouldn't have to pay you.
Do you think it's appropriate to give a cake cutting guide (diagram) with the cake or attach it to the inside of the box? I think most people are just clueless when it comes to this. I've often wondered if this would be helpful. Thoughts?
I offer it and I make sure to TELL the customer how big the slices should be just so they've heard it come out of my mouth. Otherwise, you'll have something like this:
Customer: "You told me that cake would serve 50 people and we only got 23 slices out of it. I want my money back."
Baker: "How did you slice it?"
Customer: "We cut it in big triangles like a pie."
I tell people ALL the time that prices/slices are based on a 1" x 2" slice or 2" x 2" depending on if it's wedding or birthday party.
I hate when I have this much border left to do:
[-----------------------------------------]
...and have this much icing left in the bag with which to do it:
[---------------------]
That's the worst! Hate it when that happens.........
And you have NO spare icing, so you have to make up a batch! now THAT peeves me!!
3.Ihate hate hate when people think what we do is magic
like when someone calls and asks for a very detailed cake and wonders why they cannot have it the next day
You mean like when they call at 11:30 a.m. and want a cake carved like a BMW for their dinner party at 5:00 that night!!!!????
I told him to call this other (very expensive) bakery. he said, in a forlorn voice, "I did. They said they needed more notice."
DUH!!!!!!
I don't mind cutting the cake at a family gathering ... I resent everyone ASSUMING I will do it.
I don't mind cutting round cakes, because most poeple think the pie-piece is how they are suppose to be cut. I resent being asked to cut a sheet cake. It's a freakin' sheet cake! Who doesn't know how to cut a sheet cake!!!???
I dont' mind other people cutting the cake .... I resent it when they don't give a dang and chop it up willy-nilly. It IS at that point that I jump and say, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY CAKE! GIVE ME THAT KNIFE!" (Don't even think I haven't done it, either!)
I dont' mind people admiring the cake (oh heck! I revel in that part! ). But don't EVEN give me the "oh it's too pretty to cut!" Give me the dang knife!
People who order a cake for a Sunday event and when I ask them what time they want to pick it up on Saturday, they remind me the event is on SUnday. "I'm not open on Sunday .... what time Saturday?" Then they wonder aloud about "gosh, can it just sit on the counter overnight?" to which I reply, "It sits on your counter or sits on mine ... doesn't make any difference to the cake. What time Saturday?"
I do wedding cakes for Free for my family members. I give it to them as my gift & I want them to get exactly what they want. I hate it when they say they don't care what it looks like. "Oh, so since you don't care what it looks like, I'll just let my kids decorate it w/pre-filled tubes of Wilton icing in colors of the rainbow."
Of course they have to have some kind of opinion or idea of what they want it to look like. Just tonight, my B-I-L called me to move up the date of their wedding from middle of June to week after next! When I tried to pin him down on what they were wanting, he said a big sheet cake would do or "whatever". EXCUSE ME? A SHEET CAKE FOR A WEDDING?!!! I think NOT.
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