So I get a call today for a cake for this Saturday, the 4th. I tell her I do still have some room left in the schedule, can she give me some information about what she needs?
She wants a 2 tier cake to feed 25. I tell her I can do a 6in on top of a 9in to feed 30 and do the math for her and include the price of the supports to equal a total of $89.50. (I won't do smaller...)
Her response?
"WOW. Wow....I'll call around." click. (Interpreted to mean "That's a crapload of money, I'll need to find someone cheaper).
If she calls back, I'm booked. I don't think $2.65 per serving plus $10 for the SPS supports is bad. But apparently she does. Sigh.....
Sounds like she got a reality check! People are SO clueless when it comes to cake pricing. 
I often tell my DH when people don't like the price, "they want "Ace of Cakes", just don't want to pay the price." I had a woman one time tell me she wanted 2 cakes for the same day, 2 b-days, 3-D cakes. A frog and a Truck (big-rig). When I called her back totell her what I could do and the cost, she paused. I had also worked up prices for two 8" rounds with just the FBCT of a frog and big-rig. She took the cheaper route, which actually since it was last minute I did not care.
I made a 3 tier waterfall/kayaking/outdoor scene cake for my sons birthday. It took me days. it was a labor of love. I would expect a pro would charge upwards up $300-$400. Couple weeks later a relative saw pictures and asked if I would make one similar for her to donate to a fund-raiser. Her words were "I'll pay you the $20 or so for the ingredients." WHAT THE??? I couldn't believe her. I told her that I have to work the WHOLE WEEK before she needs it at my regular job. Then she said "OH you can't make it that morning?" She was amazed that it took days to make everything. I asked her if she ever watches the cake shows? Next time I saw her she was miffed with me. Oh well!
Even in my business there are people who think they can get it cheaper somewhere else. Its amazing how CHEAP some people are.
Don't feel bad, I decorate for a grocery chain called Publix, and still have customers think they will get a better deal at Walmart.
I get those calls all of them time and just shake my head. They usually don't call back and probably end up with a Wal-Mart sheetcake. Fine with me. It just irritates me because it takes time away from real customers.
Well I have a friend who asked me to make a cake for her neice. She went on CC to get ideas. When she found a cake she liked she asked me to make that. It is a 3 tier cake, 6", 8", & 12". Said she did not need "all" cake, I said "ok, I do have a cake dummy". Now since she is a friend/co-worker I do not need to worry about getting the dummy back. PRICE was never mentioned. I made a cake for some one else, and she told me I was not charging enough so up'd the price on it. Well cake is due tomorrow, I told her today it was going to be $85. She said "you are kidding right?". Well then I thought, "crap" so I said yea it is $75. She still complained all day. Said one of them was not even cake. Well I still have to decorate it. I have spent 3 1/2 hrs making things for it already. She told me to NOT treat her "special", to charge her what I would any one else. I think she is up set. DH said make sure you tell people up front. Well I usually do, but she knew what I charged for other cakes so I guess she expected the "friends" discount of like 75% off. UGH!
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