Hi All....
I just met up with a bride this week, so she could pay for her wedding cake. We are all settled with that, and while together, we went over all the details of the order. She is happy with all the arrangements. However, as I began to close our meeting, she asked it I would consider making her a small cake in July. I asked her what kind of cake she needed, thinking perhaps it's for a BD....She wants a "little version" of what the wedding cake is going to look like, right down to the scroll work, so she can see it. She said if I wanted to, I could take a picture of the finished cake, and email it to her. So she thinks I am going to do this extra work, and then eat it myself or waste it? She never even offered to pay for this. I told her she will have to call me by July 1 so I can make a decision on doing this. I also told her that if I do it, it will come to her, after she has paid for it. I am not going to make this sample cake, which I don't do for anyone else, and give it to her for free.
How do you all feel about this? Thank you for your opinions!

Doesn't she know that you can copy most pictures right off the Internet and send them to her?

Pass.

Theresa

Sorry for laughing - but the first thing i thought of was...
If you have a picture of the cake - just resize it and email that to her and ask - is this the size you wanted.... i know - thats mean - but then so is she if she thinks you will make a *mini wedding cake* just for her to view - for free.

I would be saying - sorry petal, my time is your money

Bluehue.

I really don't know what she's thinking...Her wedding is in August. She has paid in full for the cake. Is she going to say she doesn't like it that close to her wedding? I wondered why she wanted the picture emailed too. I don't know what she's up to, but I don't feel comfortable with it.

I have done this before and I always charge. I just did one this week. It was a single tier with the design of the main cake and I definately charged as they expected. I don't see why they wouldn't expect to pay........strange.

See, this is where I put on my blonde act, tilt my head to one side and ask, in pure innocence, "Why would you want me to do that?"

If it turns out it's for her wedding shower or something, then I just quote her a price for it. Period. If she hems and haws about it, I just sit there, quietly, while she tries to figure out a way out of the conversation she started.

I don't mind helping my customers, and more often then not, have gone that one step further to do it....But when someone isn't considerate enough the ask "What would you charge for that" it makes my eyebrows bush up!
Cyndi said she has done this before, so it doesn't seem so far fetched as I was first thinking. The bride was complaining about how bad her mother is messing in all of the plans, so perhaps she told her to get this sample from me, so she could see, and taste it. She didn't attend the tasting, so maybe that is where this is coming from....I could email her a picture of the scroll work, and the dots that go with it on some parchment paper.....(Isn't that mean and unprofessional?!)

indydebi...your post are always so informative and helpful, or are just downright funny!

You hit the nail on the head about one thing....When she asked if she could get this cake, she looked embarassed, and stuttered around on why she needs it....She said "if you would have just a few minutes in July to do this...." WHAT?
How many of you get your cakes done in a few minutes? Am I missing a cake baking method here, that I don't know about? Please.... someone fill me in on these "few minute cakes!"

i just dont understand people - i think it comes down to them thinking they are doing you a favour ordering a cake in the first place!!! they act like you should be grateful that they are ordering the cake and therefore should cater to every whim!

i have this issue with a family member, she doesnt realise that i am running a business and each cake i do takes between 5-7 hours to make plus they dont just cost a couple of eggs and a little flour - she said the other day she had an order for me note: "An Order" - turns out she wanted 2 - yes 2!!! 10 inch square cakes with full decorations to give to a friend for her birthday (its a big party), but get this - for free!!! now for immediate family member birthdays i do them for free and if they were for friends etc id give a little discount but the idea of me using £35 of ingredients and about 12 hours work for someone's birthdat i dont even know and then for this family member to act like she was doing me a favour - man was i mad!!!!! my hubby stepped in and now im doing 1 10inch square for £20 which i can just about cope with

Ive said it before and il say it again - Cake Muggles - grrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

do not under any circumstances do this cake for free, its a mini wedding cake - its hours of work, ingredients, hassle, could mean you have to turn down paid orders for that week, etc. if she wants a mini cake then she orders it, pays for it and collects it. so there!!

I have a few minute cake recipe, but I don't know that you would bother decorating it. It is delicious warm with ice cream.
4 Tbsp. Flour
4 Tbsp. Sugar
3 Tbsp. Oil
3 Tbsp. Milk
1 Egg
2 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
Splash of Vanilla
3 Tbsp. Chocolate chips (optional)
Mix all ingredients well in a large mug(microwave-safe). Cook for in 1000 Watt microwave for 3 minutes. Let cool a couple minutes in the mug and turn out. Depending on the shape of your mug, it could look like a mini-cake.

Definitely don't send her a pic...gives her time to pick it apart and try to weasel out a reason for a refund...

If she doesn't trust you to make her the cake she ordered, then she shouldn't have hired you.

If she wants to order a cake with the same design, great....money talks.

I wouldn't charge her.... but then again, I would never do something like this, either.

If you make this for her you might be opening a real can o' worms here. Fix that, the color wasn't EXACTLY right, that swag was 3 millimeters off, etc.

Na, see I would have just told her sure. The smallest size I would be able to do it in is XXX and it serves XX so the price is $$$.

If she wants a 'sample' then she's gonna pay for it.

Why would one cake (the wedding cake) have a fee and the other one (sample) be free? It's all cake, right? They're made with ingredients and time that you provide, right? As one of the other posters said, my time is your money (and my ingredients are your money). I'd do it for her, but it would cost her. I don't know about anyone else, but I'd like my cake to be a surprise for everyone at the wedding. I wouldn't want a smaller version at my shower and then have everyone say, "Oh yea, there it is again," at my wedding.

Bwahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa...

Whew! That was funny. 'Cause when I read the subject line "I'm going to charger her..." I thought you meant, "I'm gonna run her over with a Dodge Charger".

Hee hee.

I would call her and say. "So I'm a little confused about this other cake you want. Is it for a shower, do you just want it to see your design, am I missing something?" Then as Debi suggests...let her talk. She may just want to get a visual on her cake.

It is really hard to visualize what a wedding cake will really look like from a sketch. Maybe it's like having a pic of your dress, you look at it, think about how pretty the day is going to be....maybe she just want to do a little advance wedding day dreaming? I would still charge her, but maybe you could do it on a styrofoam dummy and just charge her for the decorating and send the pic.

Haaaaaaaaaaahahahahahhaaaaaaa......I didn't even realize I spelled that wrong....I can be such a knuckle head....But what Jamie said doesn't sound too bad...Just rev up the engine and send her packing up the street......
This web site is so much fun. I really appreciate what everyone has said. I am not going to do it, as it was pointed out to me too that she may very pick the pooh out of it, and tell me how much is wrong with it. And this is the very thing I thought of as she was asking for it...."If she trust me to do her cake, why then is she asking for this one?"
Cathy....sounds like you have your hands full with what I "cake dummies"
Haaaaahaaaaahaaaa I think I made a funny!

That recipe does work. I make it in a cereal bowl, and without the oil as I find it's too greasy. For a change try maple syrup as part of the liquid, and omit chips and cocoa.

Bakin Mom....I plan on trying your recipe...It sounds interesting and fun to do. Thanks for providing it!

[quote="costumeczar"][quote="Cathy24"] i just dont understand people - i think it comes down to them thinking they are doing you a favour ordering a cake in the first place!!! they act like you should be grateful that they are ordering the cake and therefore should cater to every whim!

[/quote]

This is exactly right... people think they're doing you a favor to "give" you the business. I've had neighbors show up the night before a kid's birthday asking for a cake for the next day, and they always say "I just thought I'd give you the business." They're trying to give me the business all right...Not in the way they think, though!

Yeah, I just sit around here all day, twiddling my thumbs and waiting for a stray cake order[/quote]

totally know what you mean, i had this lady in work who asked me for a price to do an 8inch cake with a sugarcraft tuba on top - i said £25 which i know is really really cheap but im only starting out and want to get as much practice as possible. she looked at me and started hmmming and haaaaaing and then asked how much it would be just for the TUBA!!!!! the tuba would take me a couple of hours and she was expecting me to make it for like £5 because £25 was just to much to spend on a cake that would take me around 6 hours to make. and then for me to try to transport a gumpaste tuba into work for her to put on top of a supermarket cake that would cost about £7 - so all that to save £10?? i went back to her later and said sorry, one of my other orders had changed date and i was booked up that week but she was really not pleased as she thought i should be so grateful that she thought of me

if i made wedding cakes lol wouldn't give her a picture, she might be trying to see if someone else can do it cheaper. and i'd ask like everybody else said. she's paid up, and i would charge her for the cake, you have to do the same work as you would on the larger cake. so i would get your money out of it