I see what Jason says and your business Jason had to do entirely with the medical integrity of the ingredients. Fair enough.
But not my business. My tastings were not set up to gather critiques. It ain't freaking Iron Chef here I mean to me it's like saying do you have a cake with less flour in it? Could you make one with two more eggs and a half teaspoon less of baking powder?
For me, it's a take it or leave it. It's not where the clients are now the king and queen of the universe because they are getting married, having a birthday or anniversary and they can rule all of serfdom to their bidding in orgasmic fulfillment of their last taste bud to perfect ecstacy. No that's a different part of the celebration.
It's not where the client gets to opine and say, "I'm here to help you build a better cake for me." Oh no no no no no. Are there other icings on the planet and in my repertoire sure we might try another icing but unless you wanna fork out $75 an hour three hour minimum plus ingredients no I ain't gonna make my icing a damn bit different for you or anybody. You go build your own freaking food business to taste any which way you want. This is how mine tastes. You don't like it? It doesn't meet your standard? You want it different? Are you possibly freaking kidding me? Am I being punked here?
It's arrogant.
The purpose of the appointment is not to make adjustments to the baker.
In my humble opinion.
My post of course is directed at the idea of clients critiquing their baker during a tasting appointment. It is commenting to fellow bakers in a cake forum in a post about things not to say to us and in response to a fellow baker who does not necessarily seeing this side of the situation. It's not about talking to the client in a mean way at all. It's a little trash talk for sure but it's not personally directed to anyone one specific individual.
Just try and hire a pastry chef to r&d your product for you. Those prices are for real.
Please don't say mean things to me personally. It hurts. I can go away for another two years or more. I was enjoying myself but....if it's easier to go away I will.
Sure everything can be inproved upon but a random customer's particular critique (whre no critique is warranted) is not the time or place to make decisions concerning changing your product in my opinion.
You have one post here and you blast me. Why would you do that.
What about where they try to bargain you down by saying they will bring you lots of clientele and then you don't hear back from them (or anyone related to them) until the following year for their next birthday cake at which time they will once again promise you all their friends and relatives orders!
AWoah people, way to take a fun thread and run it into the ground. People are posting things that bug them as a way of blowing off steam all in the name of fun. This is not an open invitation to critique, pick apart, or debate that person for feeling the way they do or having the business practices they have.
Consider this a semi truck full of simple syrup I've just dumped on several of you. Please keep it nice and stay in the spirit of the thread.
After we pours the simple sirop on them precious, can we pours them little tiny teeny cookie sprinkles on them too?
Woah people, way to take a fun thread and run it into the ground. People are posting things that bug them as a way of blowing off steam all in the name of fun. This is not an open invitation to critique, pick apart, or debate that person for feeling the way they do or having the business practices they have.
Consider this a semi truck full of simple syrup I've just dumped on several of you. Please keep it nice and stay in the spirit of the thread.
THANK YOU!
LET'S GO BACK TO "things NOT to ask/say to your baker!" 
It puts the lotion on its skin or it gets the hose.
Maybe that should be my new signature line? :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
Or maybe:
"Making an explosion of clean and modern since 2012"
LOL
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Original message sent by -K8memphis
I see what Jason says and your business Jason had to do entirely with the medical integrity of the ingredients. Fair enough.
Of course it's not mandatory to do so, if you can't or don't want to offer alternative products that meet the customer's preferences I don't think that's arrogant, as long as you are polite and respectful when informing the customer. Depending on how important those preferences are and what else you bring to the table they may book with you anyway.
Another relatively common request was for no artificial colors or food dyes (again a preference and not an allergy). The majority of customers who made this request abandoned this preference after we explained that their design would be severely limited or they would have to pay a significant premium for natural food coloring.
Another good one that I get all the time...............I went on your website and see by your calendar that you're not available on my wedding day but can you do my cake?
oh that's hilarious!
just say..."Yes, let me just add a couple hours to each of my days and we'll be good. that will be $5,000"
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Original message sent by step0nmi
oh that's hilarious!
just say..."Yes, let me just add a couple hours to each of my days and we'll be good. that will be $5,000":roll:
The customer's response: "Sounds good!"
A lady once said "I don't like that fondue stuff...is there any way you can make the cake how its supposed to be made?" Implying that it is incorrect to make a 3D cake with fondant......and fondue! She called it fondue!!!!...can you imagine the look on my face?!
I had a groom say "fondue" at a tasting. Funny thing is that he OWNS a wedding venue and cuts the cake himself. And the first thing he says when he sits down at my table is "I don't want any of that fondue sh*&, so don't even try that on me."
Ok. Way to start the relationship. He also wanted 3 fountains and 6 bridges, so let's just say I sent him on his way, large wedding venue not withstanding...
I also had a bride say (AFTER she booked me) "Just so you know, by the time this thing is over, you're going to hate me." Apparently this was because she wasn't going to be able to decide on her design and she was intending on emailing me every design under the sun. So far, I've only had about 7 emails from her, but the wedding isn't until May, so I've still got time to hate her. 
To clarify, the requests for less sweet icing had nothing to do with allergies or medical intolerances, they were simply personal preferences. We were able to put together a less sweet BC recipe pretty easily, so we offered it as an alternative to those customers. Being flexible and catering to preferences like this (when it makes financial sense to do so) is one easy way to get another competitive advantage.
Of course it's not mandatory to do so, if you can't or don't want to offer alternative products that meet the customer's preferences I don't think that's arrogant, as long as you are polite and respectful when informing the customer. Depending on how important those preferences are and what else you bring to the table they may book with you anyway.
Another relatively common request was for no artificial colors or food dyes (again a preference and not an allergy). The majority of customers who made this request abandoned this preference after we explained that their design would be severely limited or they would have to pay a significant premium for natural food coloring.
Yes yes yes of course. But what I meant was that you are used to being advised of the use or un-use of certain certain ingredients. That's what I was trying to say. The discussion of particular ingredients is germaine to your whole concept. But not the case for a lot of other bakers. Hence the need for bakeries like you created.
To me, it's like ordering a steak in a restaurant and complaining because it's too beefy. Soup that's too liquidy. That's just how I feel.
And to me especially at a tasting where clients I think are supposed to choose flavors not judge them. Although they certainly do express those judgements hence my trash talking of same and my rock rib dislike of tasting appointments. If it was a taste testing situation then critiques are welcome.
Interestingly enough--probably said this before, I had my son on a special diet and only because I bake could he have any kind of special goodies. His Grandma baked specially for him also. I'm sensitive to the market I just never went there professionally. And I only worked for one place that did and those cakes were horrendous. They were a ton of cracks held together by icing.
I made my little boy a giant oval cream puff race track--vroom vrooom
K8 and Jason - no more debating. Period. Take it to a PM between the two of you.
Last warning that this is a FUN thread. Failure to find teh funny will result in me finding even bigger, more obnoxious font to type in and your banishment from the cool kid's fun thread.
Did I say FUN enough?
FUN. FUN. FUN.
"Just so you know, by the time this thing is over, you're going to hate me."
shouldn't WE, as bakers, stand up for ourselves and create some guidelines if someone were to say this? This is our business and we shouldn't keep allowing our customers to walk all over us just because social media allows us to communicate quicker!
also, the reason I say this is because this is exactly why I started this thread. I am really thinking about creating a blog about these types of situations because of the fact that there is so much etiquette in this industry that gets swept under the rug! 
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Original message sent by step0nmi
shouldn't WE, as bakers, stand up for ourselves and create some guidelines if someone were to say this? This is our business and we shouldn't keep allowing our customers to walk all over us just because social media allows us to communicate quicker!
also, the reason I say this is because this is exactly why I started this thread.
But I thought this thread was created just for fun? ;)
I had a lady email a rather elaborate pic of a 3-tiered cake (fondant with lots of tiny details, of course) she wanted for her husband's birthday. I gave her a price, then didn't hear back from her. I guessed it was too expensive, right? Ha! On Wednesday night prior to her husband's party, she emailed me again... "I have decided I can probably do this cake myself, but need you to do the topper. Since it's still a couple of days away, I'm sure that gives you plenty of time. And I've never done anything with fondant before, so I will be needing your advice on that too. Where do I get it, how do I do it, etc. So let me know when I can get the topper and where I can get the fondant. You can just explain how to put it over the cake when i get the topper. Ok?" ...Hmm, let me think... NO!! Lol :)
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Original message sent by MaryBeth1
I had a lady email a rather elaborate pic of a 3-tiered cake (fondant with lots of tiny details, of course) she wanted for her husband's birthday. I gave her a price, then didn't hear back from her. I guessed it was too expensive, right? Ha! On Wednesday night prior to her husband's party, she emailed me again... "I have decided I can probably do this cake myself, but need you to do the topper. Since it's still a couple of days away, I'm sure that gives you plenty of time. And I've never done anything with fondant before, so I will be needing your advice on that too. Where do I get it, how do I do it, etc. So let me know when I can get the topper and where I can get the fondant. You can just explain how to put it over the cake when i get the topper. Ok?" ...Hmm, let me think... NO!! Lol :)
Wow that's cheap, I charge more than that per hour for technical consulting (regarding cakes). But I charge $125 per hour for a private class which you know she will end up needing
I have to say price haggling/discounts etc are on the top of my list of what not to ask me.
My recent one was:
1st email, "We are searching for a good deal for 250 guests." I sent her my prices, etc.
2nd email, "Do we get a discount for ordering more cupcakes?" In my head I'm thinking, Well, absolutely, especially since it's on New Year's Eve....NOT!!!!. I told her no, there is not a discount.
3rd email, 2 weeks later, "After looking around & shopping around we are interested in seeing/tasting what you have to offer." Really, I feel soooo honored.
4th email, "This may sound odd, but to be honest, I care more about how they look then what they tast like." Hmmm, so sorry, I'm out of town that day. That the heck, really? What is wrong with people???!
Customer: I see you have a ten portion minimum on all your cakes.
Me: Yes, that's right.
Customer: Well, there are only 4 of us.
Me: You could just cut it into 4 pieces. Or have some the next day, everyone loves leftover cake!
Customer: So if there are only 4 of us, will the price be the same?
Me: *shaking head and wondering whether to just hang up* Yes, the price would be the same, no matter how many pieces you cut it into.
Customer: And does it all have to be the same flavour cake and filling?
Me: Yeah, how about I make 4 different flavoured 6" cakes, torte them, and give you one half layer of each flavour, and I then sandwich them together with 3 flavours of buttercream, and ganache in white AND dark chocolate, just to keep ALL 4 of you REALLY happy.
haha great posts I loved it :D
just about the sweetness, here in Europe the cakes are actually much lighter as in the US - we rarely use buttercream and the cakes are really not at all that sweet, so I do understand why they ask you that, specially if they are strangers... so I can confirm that a bit less sweet is still very good and I know lots of people that can't eat US style cakes because of their sweetness or because of so much butter... it is just a matter of what someone is used to I guess
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