So I have a 3 tier cake coming up. After I give the customer the price and they paid the deposit, I found out about SPS (single plate separators). Now before I learned about SPS, I already had one disaster cake when the bottom could not support the rest of the cake and it started leaning and eventually fall apart. So now I use them and want to use it with this order. So I told the customer about it and told her that I would like to use them but it would be an additional $35 which is completely refundable as long as I received them back. The customer said they are completely maxed out and denied. The cake is not due until July so I don't really understand that part but whatever..... So what do I do about supporting the cake? Should I ask her to sign a waiver saying she denied the extra support, go ahead and use them anyway and count it as a lost or what....

ok, that is weird. I would tell them that while you understand their financial issue, you cannot do a cake that has the risk of falling over, that their day is more important to you than that.

I ask for a deposit check, and then I do not cash it unless the items are not returned. I know that's seems pretty silly of me, I live in an area where people are pretty honest, and they don't have a need for my items anyway.

It sounds like the SPS was something you came to them with after the initial consult, and that you are asking their permission to use it. Next time, you will know better than to ask, you just say this is what I use and this is how it is going to go down.
So, you have a choice. Tell them you won't do the cake, or suck up the cost and use sps on your dime. DON'T use dowels, if you'd had trouble before, you will have trouble again. BTW, SPS is really supposed to be a single use system anyway, so I would consider building it into the cost of the cake.

Sorry, but it's up to you to deliver a stable cake. If you feel that you can't do that any way but using the SPS, then you need to buy it and take the $ out of your profit.

It's not the client's fault that you didn't know about, or choose to use, SPS before you agreed on a price. She contracted for a stable cake, period.

If I were the client, I'd decline to pay additional monies, too--and I'd still expect an intact cake to be delivered--and I wouldn't accept anything less.

Now, if you do it any other way and have a disaster, you'll wind up refunding lots of $$$$.

And yes, it's a single use system, so the price should be included in the cake price with no expectations of having the pieces returned.

Rae

I agree 100% with blakescakes.

And SPS is VERY inexpensive!

::wipes tear from eye::

The SPS chorus is singin'!!

Yes, it's intended to be disposable. With a new food code in my city, it's absolutely disposable now.

Here's what I tell them at the consultation when I get to the line on the invoice that reads Equipment.
You need support in your cake. I use a very secure system of plates and legs that lock together inside your cake. You probably will never see it, but when you walk into the reception hall and your cake is standing - it's in there working. Without it, your cake will fall down, so you have to buy it.

And every. single. time. , they say, OH YES! we want that!

I agree with KTB4..I wish there was a place here that sold them inexpensively.

when you buy the sps do you buy the 4 inch colums or do you buy the 9 in?
and how do they cut if you buy the 9 inch?

I have an order filled out for plates and colums but I thought I would wait to hear from everyone on here before I jump in with both feet to see what works.

I had looked at cake jacks which were nice because of the adjustments but it just didnt feel right about the support .. I like the idea of the single plate and support of the legs.

I have a two tiered cake due in a couple weeks and then a 4 tier cakes due the following few weeks.. I would love some system that would make life easier.

I am not a fan of the metal ring system I can't remember the name of that system I do like the bakery craft system.

It looks like you've gotten your answer but I had another question for all the SPS users that are replying to your post. I'm not a pro baker, I don't have a shop or store, I make cakes for myself and friends.....but I've NEVER used the SPS and I've never had a cake fall or lean (sometimes they aren't perfectly straight to begin with, LOL) after assembly. Am I crazy? Is this something I def. should be using even if I've not had any problems up to this point? Any feedback would be great! Thanks!

I never had one fall either, UNTIL I set up a wedding cake in a venue the the
A/C was off, window facing beach, melting buttercream and Im sure dowels not EXACTLY the same height. Mine wasnt so straight, then with all the movement of the dowels on transport and trying to set it up, well, 6 hours later the top tier slid off. After using SPS I dont use dowels anymore. My cakes are straight and travel great. And for me, its so much easier to stack using this.

I'm not a pro either but I say if it ain't broke don't fix it. Me on the other had a problem with the past system I was using and had a disaster cake. Once I learned about the SPS I tried it and the cake came out good....well I did have one problem with the SPS, you could see the plates under the cakes so I had to put a border to hide it. I'm going to try to order a plate a size smaller than the cake for example if the cake is 8in, I'll use a 6in separator plate. Did I do something wrong for the plate to show...