I've got an e-mail last week for cookies for a wedding on August 21st...
I'm booked for this date for another wedding for 6 months now..!
And the woman who sent me the e-mail sent me an email to get info in last February !! And now she makes up her mind!
She wants 133 monogram cookies, that's fine I can do that with my other order.. BUT she also wanted large cookies gift boxes for the 3 bestman, 3 bridesmaid, and flowers girls.. I said, I'm sorry but you have to decided which one you want because I don't have time to elaborate tje design for the gift boxes!
She understood at least 
The biggest problem is that since i'm just starting out, it's not a great idea for me to decline jobs because that is my advertisement (dont have money to advertise the conventional ways) as well. One job begets another, kwim? So it drives me even crazier that people will wait till the last minute and i have to find ways to fill their order in order not to lose out on a customers and word of mouth.
I completely understand as I am in the same boat. I have a flat rush fee ($10) IF I can accommodate the order. I have had to tell some people that I simply can't fit it in - I'm so sorry. In one case the woman brainstormed 3 other events that she wanted cookies for in the future that unfortunately I could not accommodate because of vacation and being previously booked. She was very understanding and said that she was just so excited to have my cookies that she would invent an excuse soon...what a compliment. In another instance, I had to turn down someone who wanted something next day and she was sorry but understanding. I got an email from her later that day saying that she and her friend decided to send the same recipient a bouquet on another occasion a few weeks later (first day at new job instead of last day at current job).
If you can fit it in and do the kind of job you would like to do, offer to squeeze in those last minute jobs for a fee and for those you can't accommodate reasonably, gently remind the potential client that 5 days (or 2 weeks or 3 months) advance order gives them a better chance of you being able to accommodate their order.
Finally, remember that there are nuts everywhere...you cookies just aren't for them 
I believe the problem is all the cake shows!! It would be so much easier if they would take 10 seconds out of the show and display a message from the participating caker that says..
This cake would cost this much money.
It would take this many days to complete.
It would also take this many people to complete it.
The order for this cake would have had to have been placed 2 months in advance.
Instead they get.. sometimes.. a fabulous cake and it only took 8 hours.. so the public thinks all bakers only take 8 hours or less.. because their cake is "simple" not like the cakes that take 8 hours on the boobtube!!
thank you for listening.. stepping down off the soap box..
putting it away..for now
AMEN!! This is just exactly what I was thinking! Virtually ALL the cake decorating shows have orders like wedding cakes come in 2 days before and they build the freakin' Taj Mahal (complete with reflecting pool and the entire wedding party figures) for them.
And just like that stupid DC cupcakes that took an order for 300 plus cupcakes AND built a display firetruck THE DAY BEFORE THE EVENT?!! Really? Be truthful people. Just once I'd like to see the cake 'reality' shows actually deal with a stupid person's request and not turn it into...'well, even though it was a rocky start, the cake turned out beautiful and the bride was happy.' Give me a break. How about "even though we got off to a rocky start, the cake turned out beautiful but the bitch still complained and wanted a refund but we told her to f-off.'
Keep it real, people!!
"And just like that stupid DC cupcakes that took an order for 300 plus cupcakes AND built a display firetruck THE DAY BEFORE THE EVENT?!! Really? Be truthful people. Just once I'd like to see the cake 'reality' shows actually deal with a stupid person's request and not turn it into...'well, even though it was a rocky start, the cake turned out beautiful and the bride was happy.' Give me a break. How about "even though we got off to a rocky start, the cake turned out beautiful but the bitch still complained and wanted a refund but we told her to f-off.'
Keep it real, people!![/quote]
Clapping, Applause, Whistles for carmijok's post and Tesso's and the comments from everyone else. Thank God I will never have to be a cake professional--I don't know how you guys do it and I bow deeply to each of you in respect and awe.
Being brand new at this, 4 months, I'm still ASTONISHED at the time it takes! Cake muggles (I LOVE that term!!!), have zero idea how long any of this takes. I just bragged to my family that it only took 11 hours from start to finish of clean-up for my last 3 tier stacked fondant cake with simple decorations and a bow I'd made in my Wilton class.
With that said, DC CUPCAKES MAKES ME WANT TO THROW UP! But, with a horrid, sick, revulsed, fascination, I watch it anyway. My bad???
While I completely understand the need to rant sometimes, I think we have to be careful not to assume the bride's/customer's thoughts and motives. Some customers genuinely don't understand how much time and effort goes into decorating a beautiful cake. I made a cake last time my grandmother was in town and she went on and on about how many hours it took to decorate it and how much I should charge for cakes because of the time logged on the project. I'm not even a professional, I'm just a hobbyist and was baking a (free) cake for my dad. haha But her point was....."I never realized it took that long to create that kind of cake. IF you were selling your cakes, you would need to charge a LOT of money." It seems that lately some people here on cc are making the customer out to be the enemy, and I just don't see how this could help promote business. When someone asks for an order last minute, I agree with some other posters that you should professionally and respectfully decline, stating that you are already booked. Then, let them know how much notice you normally need to be able to take an order, and hope they return to you the next time they need a cake (with plenty of notice). Then, instead of cussing them out in your head because they are such "morons" for wanting a cake last minute, consider the possibility that they honestly didn't realize how demanding a cake is...and hope for future orders. It seems that some posters are making out the customers to be self absorbed idiots, when it is likely a misunderstanding of the cake profession.
And now off of my soapbox. I guess I probably shouldn't even post this opinion as I am not a professional myself. It just seems that lately the customers are getting *such* a bad rap and there are lots of negative posting about a simple misunderstanding. Now, if there is a cusomter who you have already (politely) explained this process to and they are still calling at the last minute......then there would be a valid argument.
....IF you were selling your cakes, you would need to charge a LOT of money."
Of course that depends on what they say a LOT of money is! I think we've all heard variations of this story that concluded with the person telling the baker "Why, I bet you could get forty dollars for that (3 tiered fondant covered) cake!" 
A friend of a friend (which only makes her an acquaintence) said that I was ripping her off . . . she claimed that as a "friend" she was entitled to have her cookies done for free but since I was too self-absorbed (her words) she'd be willing to go as high as $2.75 per cookie and that to ask for more would be an act of sheer and perverse selfishness (her words again) . . .
Again, I bit down on my tongue, smiled, and told her that $2.75 wouldn't even come close to paying for the supplies, not to mention labor and sorry I was booked . . . for those of you curious to know what I really thought, see my past posting . . .
Some customers genuinely don't understand how much time and effort goes into decorating a beautiful cake. It seems that lately some people here on cc are making the customer out to be the enemy,
When someone asks for an order last minute, I agree with some other posters that you should professionally and respectfully decline, stating that you are already booked. Then, let them know how much notice you normally need to be able to take an order, and hope they return to you the next time they need a cake (with plenty of notice). Then, instead of cussing them out in your head because they are such "morons" for wanting a cake last minute, consider the possibility that they honestly didn't realize how demanding a cake is...and hope for future orders. It seems that some posters are making out the customers to be self absorbed idiots, when it is likely a misunderstanding of the cake profession.
As someone who worked for a very busy custom bakery, I was the person who was hired to take orders...and I had to turn down people A LOT. When someone called at the last minute, we always tried to accommodate...but only if we could...sometimes you just can't. I was amazed at the number of people who habitually called late...the SAME people. And these were usually the worst ones. They would get angry and tell me they only wanted a 'simple' 4 tier Sweet 16 cake for their daughter's birthday tomorrow and we've ALWAYS done their cakes before and NEVER had a problem before...yada yada yada. My response was always pleasant and very apologetic, and I always said 'well, I'm so sorry we can't accommodate you this time, but while I've got you on the phone, let's go ahead and set up the calendar for any other events you've got coming up this year so you don't have to worry about it and we'll contact you for details closer to the event.' Most would take me up on it, and others would hang up...and call late again next time and we'd do it all over again. AAAGGGHHH!! Those individuals are the subjects of rants. People who know better but really don't care because THEY are more important and you need to cater to them... because after all, you're trying to rip them off anyway.
If the rants are coming more and more, it's because as I stated before, that I think the TV cake shows show an unrealistic view of what real time and effort is involved. Ace of Cakes at least has weekly meetings to discuss who is doing what cake for that week and you see a structure to their business. It takes a week to build some of those cakes...and several designers working on it. The other shows are totally unreal...trying to create drama...sleeping on the floor of the bakery...crying 'I don't know if we can do this in time!!'
Oh yeah? Then why'd you take the order, stupid!
This is why there are so many ranting posts IMO.
Certainly, some people have no clue how long it takes to create gorgeous cookies and cakes. Some people know, but a last minute occasion comes up and they hope the baker can squeeze them in. And then there are the people who know, but want to make sure their order is "fresh". I know one lady who would recommend to all her friends that they should wait until the day before to place an order with a local bakery to make sure their cake was FRESH, and not made the day before. Like a cake suddenly gets stale, sealed in frosting, in just two days.
It doesn't matter what business you're in you will always have those people that thing you are just sitting around waiting for them to call. I have a dog grooming business and my favorite is the person that call on Christmas Eve at 7:30 P.M. and wanted to know if he could bring his dog over. I said "Sure it's Christmas Eve and don't have anything better to do"!!! NOT!
This is so frustrating and it happens every week. I get several calls each week for a cake for the following day. I tell them I bake everything especially for each order and I am normally already booked anyway. I just cant understand how people think a custom cake can be made in no time. Ahhh!!
Some customers genuinely don't understand how much time and effort goes into decorating a beautiful cake. I made a cake last time my grandmother was in town and she went on and on about how many hours it took to decorate it and how much I should charge for cakes because of the time logged on the project.
When I first got started, I was working on a cake for a family event. My DH kept walking in and out of the room to see how I was doing. After hours of this....he said "Now I know why wedding cakes cost so much."
Again, I bit down on my tongue, smiled, and told her that $2.75 wouldn't even come close to paying for the supplies, not to mention labor and sorry I was booked . . . for those of you curious to know what I really thought, see my past posting . . .
You were remarkably restrained.....
I alway s bake cookies,nice ok,now have custume want cookies with sticks like handles? I saw that, but I don't know if bake with or insert after bake how to do that? 
Talk about last minute! Try working in a CPA's office in April. People come in or call on the 15th thinking an extension can be completed instantly, and that we're sitting around with our feet up waiting for them. Wrong. Calculations need to be made prior to the filing. And there's all the work that needs to be done for the clients who came in BEFORE YOU. Does it occur to them that we might be busy on April 15?
[quote="JulieMN"]
You were remarkably restrained.....
I'm surprised I can still talk, I've bitten down on my tongue so many times! lol . . . thank you!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%