Things Not To Ask/say To A Baker!

Decorating By step0nmi Updated 20 Oct 2016 , 2:28pm by ch5964

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Hunterschild Posted 4 Feb 2014 , 5:53pm
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AI have this desperate urge sometimes when one of my 'lovely' customers comes into my bakery and asks do I have any 'nice cakes for sale' - to reply no sorry, only rubbish ones, I take pride in being open all day and baking absolute ?@&^% :x

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basketpam Posted 4 Feb 2014 , 6:55pm
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No, you don't refuse. The way to get people is to hit them where it REALLY hurts, their wallet.  Sure, you can have it Monday but there will be an extra fee of oh, say $50 or whatever would be a rather shockingly high fee for last minute notice in your area of the country or compared to the normal charge.  It's sort of the opposite of that fee they charge at the doctor's office if you cancel at the last minute because you're too ill to keep your appointment.  Rather STUPID don't you think!  They're a doctor's office and they charge a fee because you're too SICK to keep a check-up appointment?  Go figure!  It's not like a person canceling because they remembered a hair appointment you had or some type of unnecessary thing.   I have fibromyalgia and contrary to what is required, I can't predict 48 hours in advance when I'm going to be having a very bad day.

 

 So.....do the opposite, anything less than a 48 hour or 72 hour notice for an order and there is an extra charge.  People will either pay it, which then gives you extra money, OR, they get the hint and stop doing things like this.  After all, this wasn't a funeral or something unexpected that happened in life.  You would think wouldn't you that her son has the same birth date every year, doesn't he?  And being his mother she ought to be the one who knows,  you would think so, after all she was there wasn't she?   :D 

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hbquikcomjamesl Posted 4 Feb 2014 , 6:59pm
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Hunterschild 

I have this desperate urge sometimes when one of my 'lovely' customers comes into my bakery and asks do I have any 'nice cakes for sale' - to reply no sorry, only rubbish ones, I take pride in being open all day and baking absolute ?@&^% icon_mad.gif


Well, if you used that line on the right customers, they'd probably both get a good laugh and take the hint.

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Hunterschild Posted 4 Feb 2014 , 7:34pm
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AI do...I have a sarcastic sense of humour - which helps in the catering industry - more than once I have said - I baked crap today - so take your pick - they always going out smiling - with a cake in the hand :D

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hbquikcomjamesl Posted 4 Feb 2014 , 10:25pm
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And I'm sure that even if it were "crap" to you, it would probably be better than anything I've baked and decorated.

 

(Indeed, the only reason why I'd rather bake and decorate my own -- other than of course the sense of accomplishment -- is that I don't think I'd be able to find a professional who'd want to duplicate the texture of my favorite dense, non-whipped, hand-blended, all-butter, cold-process buttercream, and I don't especially like the texture of the whipped buttercreams I've eaten, at least not as much as I like the texture of my own: they're not dense enough for me.)

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MBalaska Posted 4 Feb 2014 , 10:47pm
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James: There's a difference between baking and decorating.  If you're not in the custom cake decorating business then taste-aroma-texture is more important than how it looks.  I've never once looked at the mountainous top of a home baked banana bread loaf and thought to myself........"Damn that's ugly". 

 

(PS: I've got my first batch of MimiFix's Vanilla cupcakes on the counter cooking, and it smells like Madagascar heaven in here.)

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hbquikcomjamesl Posted 4 Feb 2014 , 10:53pm
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And then there's your local grocer's bakery counter, where neither appearance, nor taste, nor texture matter: it's all about combining a low price with a high profit margin.:-P

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SpeciallyYours Posted 5 Feb 2014 , 4:58pm
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Quote:

Originally Posted by basketpam 
 

No, you don't refuse. The way to get people is to hit them where it REALLY hurts, their wallet.  Sure, you can have it Monday but there will be an extra fee of oh, say $50 or whatever would be a rather shockingly high fee for last minute notice in your area of the country or compared to the normal charge.  It's sort of the opposite of that fee they charge at the doctor's office if you cancel at the last minute because you're too ill to keep your appointment.  Rather STUPID don't you think!  They're a doctor's office and they charge a fee because you're too SICK to keep a check-up appointment?  Go figure!  It's not like a person canceling because they remembered a hair appointment you had or some type of unnecessary thing.   I have fibromyalgia and contrary to what is required, I can't predict 48 hours in advance when I'm going to be having a very bad day.

 

 So.....do the opposite, anything less than a 48 hour or 72 hour notice for an order and there is an extra charge.  People will either pay it, which then gives you extra money, OR, they get the hint and stop doing things like this.  After all, this wasn't a funeral or something unexpected that happened in life.  You would think wouldn't you that her son has the same birth date every year, doesn't he?  And being his mother she ought to be the one who knows,  you would think so, after all she was there wasn't she?   :D 

;-D:D Too right!!

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regiane Posted 7 Feb 2014 , 4:39pm
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A

Original message sent by Elcee

"Oh, you do cakes? I watch Cake Boss all the time."

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hbquikcomjamesl Posted 7 Feb 2014 , 4:59pm
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Hmm. Cake Boss. Not to be confused with the similarly titled bakery management application. I finally got curious enough to look it up in Wikipedia. And I'm sorry I did.

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Twerkdotgif Posted 9 Feb 2014 , 12:09am
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When you let someone try your cakepops before they decide to buy and she says "Can you make them less sweet?" 

how do i make a ball of cake with frosting in it less sweet? 

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susie herselman Posted 9 Feb 2014 , 6:01am
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AI have a question asked many times but do not seem to find the anawer, using marzipan on sponge cakes under the fondant to get a more even finish

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valleybrown Posted 9 Feb 2014 , 5:32pm
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AI've had a customer tell me that she makes bread pudding much better "and one day she will come in and teach me how it should be made"

What can you say to that except , have a nice day.

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Godot Posted 9 Feb 2014 , 5:54pm
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AI know exactly where she can put that damned bread pudding!

If her bread pudding is so great why'd she order from you?

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valleybrown Posted 9 Feb 2014 , 5:59pm
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AHaha, my thoughts exactly. Considering I have customers call and have pieces put " on hold" so they don't miss out once they arrive. Fixed smiles and silence go a long way some days.

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mcaulir Posted 22 Feb 2014 , 6:56am
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This isn't really being said to a baker, but I love this description of how to save money by just making a cake with fondant yourself! And it's cheaper because you don't need to buy 'add-ons' with fondant. What?

 

http://www.ehow.com/list_7357502_homemade-princess-birthday-party-ideas.html

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810whitechoc Posted 22 Feb 2014 , 9:58am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by mcaulir 
 

This isn't really being said to a baker, but I love this description of how to save money by just making a cake with fondant yourself! And it's cheaper because you don't need to buy 'add-ons' with fondant. What?

 

http://www.ehow.com/list_7357502_homemade-princess-birthday-party-ideas.html


Wow, it's so easy and cheap to make a 3 tiered fondant cake, I don't know what I have been doing all this time thinking it takes skill, time, practice and money to make one, silly me. 

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Shona-Kay Posted 22 Feb 2014 , 2:41pm
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AI get a call thursdsay for a cake on Saturday. Lady says she got my numbers from another Baker that works on the other half of my Island. She wantsa football themed cake.... and doesn't even know what she wants. She said she would whatsapp me to continue the Convo and save phone credit.(no problem so far) I eventually decided I wasnt in the mood for staying up late working on that order as i was busy with my other job. I first contacted my friend who lives nearby and also does cakes but she too was busy with her regular job so I wished her all the best. On Sunday out of curiosity I whatsapp the lady and asked her how it went. She said she had to cancel the visit ( her son is in boarding school) and she was still searching for a cake. The new time was Wednesday evening. I told her for Wednesday I'd have to get a deposit on Monday as I would need to bake midday evening or Tuesday morning for a Wednesday cake. She gave me a sob story about her sons broken foot and needing to accompany him to the children's hospital on Monday so a deposit on that day was not possible. once again I wished her well. She then had the grand idea to ask if she could give it to me on that Sunday I agreed because she said that she would be there shortly. The lady called at 12 in the NIGHT!! feeling sorry for her u sent my husband to get the deposit. She calls me bk says she wants a receipt I explained to her that it was too late for me to go through a contract with her now as I deal only with contacts and not receipts and that non the less I Would oblige. I got out of bed and half way through changing out of my night gown she calls back (thats within 30seconds) about how she is scared for my area (an area where 90% of my time my doors are unlocked) told her shed have to wait a bit because im coming out of bed and id have to get dressed. I went out with the contract to see the lady driving of as i got to the gate.so I'm raging mad at this time. I thanked her for wasting my time and wished her all the best. She sent me a long message about how she was scared and how she drove from another town to be there and i was rude for asking her to wait while i changed because she was scared. So I told her that any normal preson would be in their night garb at that time of the night and none other than me would actually get out of bed to do business on a day when i was closed and at that time of the night as well.that I did so because I was a teacher and understand what the boy must be going through with his broken foot in his birthday. Told her for future reference she needs 2 weeks in order to place an order and not to expect that anyone other baker would acommodate rush order. Contacted the Baker who sent her to me only to get confirmation that the Damn woman was mad. She wanted the cake from her for less than the price (did that with me as well) didn't want to drive the three hr journey for the cake and insisted that the baker packed her tools took the journey herself and baked the cake at her house in her kitchen to not only cut cost but "make it easier for everyone" and the baKer was welconed to sleep in her sons bed. Wth! I smiled about passing her on to the most expensive baker on the island knowing fully well that shed puke at the prices as well as being put straight about rush orders. I checked the fb pages. Noone did her cake

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jenng1482 Posted 22 Feb 2014 , 5:02pm
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Quote:

Originally Posted by mcaulir 
 

This isn't really being said to a baker, but I love this description of how to save money by just making a cake with fondant yourself! And it's cheaper because you don't need to buy 'add-ons' with fondant. What?

 

http://www.ehow.com/list_7357502_homemade-princess-birthday-party-ideas.html

Hmmmm….no pictures on this "tutorial"

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MimiFix Posted 22 Feb 2014 , 5:13pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mcaulir   ... I love this description of how to save money by just making a cake with fondant yourself! And it's cheaper because you don't need to buy 'add-ons' with fondant. What?

 

http://www.ehow.com/list_7357502_homemade-princess-birthday-party-ideas.html

 

Usually the people who write these are freelancers with no subject knowledge. They are not interested in accurate content and only want to get paid. (And then they move on to the next article in another subject area.)
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as you wish Posted 22 Feb 2014 , 5:36pm
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A

Original message sent by mcaulir

This isn't really being said to a baker, but I love this description of how to save money by just making a cake with fondant yourself! And it's cheaper because you don't need to buy 'add-ons' with fondant. What?

[URL=http://www.ehow.com/list_7357502_homemade-princess-birthday-party-ideas.html]http://www.ehow.com/list_7357502_homemade-princess-birthday-party-ideas.html[/URL]

Perhaps I am a bit twisted, but I really, really want to see the results of this when someone tries it. (Complete with pictures of the devastated little "princess" when she sees her wreck of a cake.)

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LoveMeSomeCake615 Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 4:14am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by valleybrown 

I've had a customer tell me that she makes bread pudding much better "and one day she will come in and teach me how it should be made"

What can you say to that except , have a nice day.

When we had our shop, there was one lady in particular who would come in every so often and always tell me her lemon bars were better than mine, and proceed to buy 4-6 of mine. Then she said she would bring me her recipe. She never did. 

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cazza1 Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 2:37pm
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I think that some people on here need to keep in mind that not everyone has the money to buy a custom cake or even the desire to and would not dream of spending a huge amount on their child's birthday cake.  In fact I have never met any kids (apart from my own) that had really fancy cakes.  And even if I had never made a cake before, if I had made 3 tiers, with lumpy fondant and stuck a bought crown on the top the kids would have thought it was fantastic.  Articles like that are not necessarily aimed at the people who would buy a custom cake for their child.  And lets be honest custom cakes are more admired by the adults than the kids.  If your 'little princess' is devastated because her cake is not up to scratch then maybe it is time that she is taught about real life and it's values; like that Mum loves you and went to all this effort to make you happy. And whilst my kids friends used to go nuts over the birthday cakes at my place never once did my kids come home from a party and say ".....they only had a cr...py cake." 

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sbonham Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 6:36pm
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As  I was reading about the family members that ask about not making the icing too sweet I burst into laughter because  I made a cake for a family member with rolled butter cream fondant. The next day she told me the fondant was too sweet and she preferred the icing under the fondant.  HELLO,  the icing and the fondant had exactly the same amount of sugar in them. Glad to know I am not the only one. :grin:

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sbonham Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 7:10pm
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Quote:

Originally Posted by cazza1 
 

I think that some people on here need to keep in mind that not everyone has the money to buy a custom cake or even the desire to and would not dream of spending a huge amount on their child's birthday cake.  In fact I have never met any kids (apart from my own) that had really fancy cakes.  And even if I had never made a cake before, if I had made 3 tiers, with lumpy fondant and stuck a bought crown on the top the kids would have thought it was fantastic.  Articles like that are not necessarily aimed at the people who would buy a custom cake for their child.  And lets be honest custom cakes are more admired by the adults than the kids.  If your 'little princess' is devastated because her cake is not up to scratch then maybe it is time that she is taught about real life and it's values; like that Mum loves you and went to all this effort to make you happy. And whilst my kids friends used to go nuts over the birthday cakes at my place never once did my kids come home from a party and say ".....they only had a cr...py cake." 

I agree with you.  

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hbquikcomjamesl Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 7:31pm
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I'll second "cazza1" as well. And I'm thankful for the encouragement I've received here, and that the most utterly merciless critic of my own cakes (and other baked goods) has always been . . . myself.

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Danilou Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 8:41pm
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AWell said Cazza1

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SpeciallyYours Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 9:10pm
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Twerkdotgif 
 

When you let someone try your cakepops before they decide to buy and she says "Can you make them less sweet?" 

how do i make a ball of cake with frosting in it less sweet? 

 

Tell her you can give her the pop without the coating...that would be less sweet!  :D  :evil:

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elittotto Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 9:59pm
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AOne day a woman told me. I need ASAP a pumpkin pie ( wich in México is not as comon). When She was about to leve, she told me " I hope it's near as good as mine, because I make the best pumpkin pie ever". Next day she came by and told me, "every one love your pie, but of course I told them it was mine, they don't expect a better pie from anyone but me,I hope you can keep our secret" she really make me laugh, I couldn't believe some one could say that, it's beyond rude. So I did better had a good laugh.

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MBalaska Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 10:31pm
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Quote:

Originally Posted by elittotto 

.... "every one love your pie, but of course I told them it was mine, they don't expect a better pie from anyone but me,I hope you can keep our secret" ......

 

this probably happens a lot.

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