Today, I received a call from a lady (said she was referred by her cousin named "E") asking for a Batman cake to feed 100 people...I told her $300.00, so then she asks me how much for a batman to feed 25, again I gave her a price(I can hear people in the background saying to get a small cake for 1 person and they'll go to Publix for a sheet cake). She then asks me, how much for a cake for 1 person 
I told her that I don't turn on my oven for anything less than 25 servings. She says, "Ok, I'll call you back to let you know what we're gonna do". Ok so I hang up and this idiot has someone else call me from another number and says that another person named "G" referred me and she asks for a cake to feed 100 people...I ask her what type of design and she says "Batman". I give her the same price I gave the lady before her. I'm assuming they thought that the price would change.....
Now the person "E" is the wife of my DH co-worker and she's the cousin of the lady who wants the cake. So the lady calls "E" to see if she can get her husband to ask my husband to ask me if I can give her a discount 
"E's" husband told the lady that she would have to ask me herself because he didn't want to get in the middle of it. This chick had the audacity to say, "Since, "E" is my cousin do you think you can give me a discount on the cake? So I ask, "What's in it for me if I give you a discount?" (Silence) so I say,"I thought so!" and before I hang up the phone, I tell her "Don't call me if you're not about business, hell I don't even give my family discounts"-CLICK!!!
I know that was not very professional but sometimes you get tired of the BS. I have people will call me 5 times a day asking, "how much is this and how much is that" I tell them all the time to check out my website for prices or if I'm in a good mood I'll give them my serving price and cost of extra things over the phone. I usually have someone else answer the calls for me but this chick called my personal cell number because thats the number that was given to her by "E".
Sorry for the long a$$ post but this chick had my blood boiling 
I am so sick and tired of these people who want an elaborate cake for 100 people but they don't want to pay the money. In the area where I'm located there are some girls who would spend $200.00 on a hairstyle without blinking and I'm pretty sure they won't ask the stylist for a discount. This is really starting to get on my nerves! Thanks for listening/reading 
So I ask, "What's in it for me if I give you a discount?" (Silence)
I LUV this! Can't wait for the chance to use it!
That is a perfect response!!!! Luv It!! I had a lady contact me a few days ago, she wanted a tiered cake to serve 40 people (Sesame Street Theme, very elaborate), and a smash cake for her 1 yr old. I quoted $150, haven't heard back from her!!
So I ask, "What's in it for me if I give you a discount?" (Silence)
I LUV this! Can't wait for the chance to use it!
Thanks 
I surprised myself with this one...I always think of the good comebacks after I'm done talking to the person. 
I think when we all go through calls/customers like this we always think in the back of our minds "WWIS" (What Would Indydebi Say") 
So I ask, "What's in it for me if I give you a discount?" (Silence)
I LUV this! Can't wait for the chance to use it!
That is a perfect response!!!! Luv It!! I had a lady contact me a few days ago, she wanted a tiered cake to serve 40 people (Sesame Street Theme, very elaborate), and a smash cake for her 1 yr old. I quoted $150, haven't heard back from her!!
You know sometimes, they'll even call back a little later to see if you would forget about the price you told them before. I had this one girl who called me 3 different times asking for the price and each time she got the same price. I think if that happens again the price will go higher and higher each time they call back (just to mess with them) 
"what's in it for me if I give you a discount??"" OMG OMG OMG OMG!! i think i love you!!
So I ask, "What's in it for me if I give you a discount?" (Silence)
I LUV this! Can't wait for the chance to use it!
Thanks
I surprised myself with this one...I always think of the good comebacks after I'm done talking to the person. I think when we all go through calls/customers like this we always think in the back of our minds "WWIS" (What Would Indydebi Say")
Oh dayumn! How's that for cake balls! 
i love the come back line.
I had a lady keep calling me for a cake, she called once i quoted $500 she called again quoted her $500, she called a third time and i told her you call again and the price will be $600, she paid the $500 and loved the cake.
Personally i would rather sit in my nice clean kitchen and think about cakes, then clean up my messed up kitchen for no money. Then again this is a side thing for me, so i do have the luxury of giving walmarts phone number to those who don't want to pay.
Personally i would rather sit in my nice clean kitchen and think about cakes, then clean up my messed up kitchen for no money. Then again this is a side thing for me, so i do have the luxury of giving walmarts phone number to those who don't want to pay.
Even if you are business there is a price for a cake when it is better to sit on your hands than make the cake, even if no other customer comes. This is the perfect time to hash out new ideas, clean your kitchen again or simply relax.
"giving walmarts phone number to those who don't want to pay."
What??? Let them look it up themselves!!!!!
I can't believe, well actually/sadly I can, how people can be so stupid as to have someone else call with the exact same request to see if the price has changed. I would definitely raise the price if that happened.
I'll be using the "what's in it for me" line if I get the discount question.
And why is it I always have the best comebacks after the conversation has ended!!
The audacity of people....We decided we would stop being nice to our colleagues...We own our own busness which we currently run part-time while working our full-time jobs (the ones that keep the bills paid at the moment)...A co-worker asked me to do a quote for her daughter's 2nd wedding....She wanted a 6" topper and cupcakes....So we worked up the quote and because we like her we gave her a 20% friends and family discount...She looked at the quote and said, "I thought you would have been cheaper than Cost*Co." So I told her that they don't make their orders fresh to order with all-butter buttercream with attention to details...I was burning at that point so I said, "If you don't like custom prices, go to Cost*Co"....She did...We haven't gotten many orders from my staff but I do not care...Evenutally, we will have our own store and I won't have to worry about them.
Paul
I work at a grocery store chain bakery, and I have to tell you I am absolutely disgusted by what they do.
The cakes come in boxes, FROZEN. The icings in buckets or a cardboard "milk box" that you have to whip up. All the cakes look the same. There is no room at all for creativity.
Not to mention the breads come in frozen as well. I mean, how can we call it a bakery when everything comes in frozen?!
I'm telling you guys, I would LOVE to open my own bakery here. There are none in my area. I would make a killing!!!
Anyone wanna help me write up my business plan? 
you guys realize what MOST people are gonna say when you say "What's in it for me if I give you a discount?" Don't you??
They will say " IT'LL BE GOOD ADVERTISING FOR YOUR BUSINESS!!!!!"
LOLOLOLOLOLOL OH come on, you know they will!!
I thought of that one too!
"My cake will be advertised .... meaning all of your guests will see it / eat it .... whether it's paid for or discounted. What I'll get is a bunch of advertising that says "debi does cheap cakes" and everyone will come here expecting to get a discount, so I can advertise my cake at THEIR party, so all of THEIR guests will come here expecting to get a discount. I can't afford that kind of advertising."
you can go ahead and make the cake to serve 1, just call it super sized and the price is still the $300. Did she want a single cuppie and think you wold give it to her for a quarter?
Just because I know you through my neighbors aunt's cousin's best friend's daughter's sister's coworker that you met at the grocery store 5 years ago doesn't mean you get a discount. I can give you that discount. The cake will have the expired eggs, margerine, and other questionable ingredients, but I am sure you will be fine with getting an inferior product at a discount and not the quality cakes I am know for. So, I will keep the date for you when I get the $300 for that cake because I will not self myself cheap nor use cheap ingredients.
OH debi, I knew you could back up the "free advertising" with a good answer!!! This is why I like to talk to people through emails, I can log onto CC and see
"What would Debi say?" and then copy and paste YOUR answer to MY email. lol
You know, I used to work as a dispatcher at the police dept. and they had a book, a manual of sorts...it had tabs on the side (was a 3 ring binder) and had all kinds of situations outlined on the tab (ie: choking, drowning, not breathing, no heartbeat, etc.) and you could flip to that section and it outlined entire questions and answers like FAQ's and things you should/could say to calm the person down, etc.
I really think that indydebi should write one of these books about cake dec./ catering/ general dealing with the public. You could have tabs for
-wants discount
-wants donation
-wants champagne on beer budget
-wants 1 tiered cake and sheetcakes in back
I mean, I would buy it!!!!! lol
you guys realize what MOST people are gonna say when you say "What's in it for me if I give you a discount?" Don't you??
They will say " IT'LL BE GOOD ADVERTISING FOR YOUR BUSINESS!!!!!"
LOLOLOLOLOLOL OH come on, you know they will!!
Thats the same thing my husband said, and I told him that they could also tell people that I'll cut down my prices if you ask. That type of business I don't need!
Yeah, I forgot to ask - HOW do you make a batman cake for 1? I would love to hear the answer.
My family asks me for a cake for 5 (all of them want their own cake, but the cakes were this month every 3-4 days, so I can somewhat understand it). Ignoring the practical aspect - baking one mini-cake or cupcake in big oven, how the he.. you decorate it?
Anyone ever just say, tactfully, what it takes for us? I mean, when I explain to people in general, or those who are visiting me while I have a cake going actually see what we do, they begin to develop an understanding. Its like they just assumed we dump a box of mix in a pan and 30 minutes later . . . POOF! A 3 tier wedding or gumpaste birthday masterpiece. When I explain the countless hours, and very late nights (or wee hour mornings) we spend, and extended family babysitting support, and cost of fondant, etc., I actually hear the BING 
of the "I get it now bell" go off in their heads.
Can I do that with customers? Mmmmmm. . . maybe not. But one day. . .
Yeah, I forgot to ask - HOW do you make a batman cake for 1? I would love to hear the answer.
I have no clue! My husbands co-worker told him to tell me "don't worry about it". I told him to tell his co-worker, "I'm not worrying about it, I'm not stressing over it...they are the ones that need a cake to feed 100 people, not me! So why would I worry about it!" My husband looked at me and said, "Where is this attitude coming from all of a sudden?" Hmmp...if only he knew The dummy (my husband) even had the nerve to say I should take $25.00 off the cake and he'll just give me the extra $25.00 What an idiot...doesn't he know that his money is my money so in the end we would still be losing out $25.00. I love him but sometimes I could just hurt him 
That's exactly what I'm worried about....people asking for discounts all the time. I get so mad right off the bat that I need some "cool" answers. I love your response (and Debi's rebuttal).
to add: a co-worker asked me to do a dress shirt cake for her father's birthday. It's about the size of a 1/4 sheet. She called the grocery store and found out they charge $25 for a 1/4 sheet decorated with roses. She called me and said since they charge $25, she's willing to pay me $30 since I'll do "custom" work. I mean $5.00 extra???!!!
I have this price debate all the time. And I 'm cheap.
I wish these cake shows on tv would say how much these cakes cost. To give the public and idea what it costs.
then maybe they would quit expecting a walmart cake price. The public has not got a clue. its not only the cake ingr. price but the power,water,time also.
They expect you to work 24/7 and not have a family or life.
and they want to give you $20.00 for it. like crap!
i love the come back line.
I had a lady keep calling me for a cake, she called once i quoted $500 she called again quoted her $500, she called a third time and i told her you call again and the price will be $600, she paid the $500 and loved the cake.
Personally i would rather sit in my nice clean kitchen and think about cakes, then clean up my messed up kitchen for no money. Then again this is a side thing for me, so i do have the luxury of giving walmarts phone number to those who don't want to pay.
I love this! It just became my new signature line.
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