I have a potential customer who is asking me to do petit fours for a baby shower next month. I quoted her a VERY generous price and beat all other quotes they had gotten out of the water. Now she is telling me she wants to schedule a tasting and taste a petit four first. My first reaction was "this is a baby shower, not a wedding." I can't imagine going through making even a small cake, the poured fondant, etc...just for ONE petit four (or even a couple just for a tasting). Have any of you done this before? I understand she wants to know she is getting quality. How should I approach this?

TIA!
Amanda

The more you give them for free, the more they will take for free. You gave her a very good deal on the petit fours for her baby shower, if she wants more and you have to do samples, then make her pay for that part of your time. Better find out now, that way she won't be a pain the behind later If she doesn't understand that, then she doesn't understand business. This is my way of dealing with that, good luck and hope it all works out

Thanks Lisa! I'm going to email her and give her the option of paying for for a few or not doing a tasting and explaining why just one is basically impossible. I know people outside of the cake business have no clue usually about things like that...but you're right. If she's a good customer, then she'll understand that's business! Thank you!

Just tell her your quote did not include a tasting, and a tasting is such and such money. That way you don't go to all the trouble of doing a tasting and THEN she says nevermind. I find it weird she wants to do a tasting for a Baby Shower.

If you quoted anything less than $6 each, I'm betting that you will regret the quote. If she wants some ahead of time, then she can BUY a dozen.

Length of time you've been making cakes has nothing to do with how much you charge. It's business, fair isn't something you should be considering because it has no place in business.

If you got the skills then the customer pays the bills!

"I'm sorry ... I dont' have a recipe that makes ONE petit four."

And ditto to prterrell's comments.

haha, Well Why not Indydebi?! LOL!! Yes, I too agree with Prterrell! Because for one, when you decide you're able to charge more, then you'll have people complain about you raising prices, and are you gonna say, Well I got better.......frankly they don't care Start your business off right, hard to change direction in the middle


ETA: Here's a different comparison, I'm a Realtor at my day job, and they day I got my license I charged 6% just like the people who've been doing it 30 years I didn't discount cause I was 19 and a new Realtor.