Customer Says I Am Charging Too Much.....am I?
Decorating By mmmcake0072 Updated 31 Mar 2013 , 12:44am by Cakemommy2012
She needs to be sent packing. She WANTS too much, you're charging a lot, so far you're both even, until she got to the part where she's telling you what ingredients to put in her cake, ..............she stepped over the line and needs to go talk to the cheap cake person. She's NOT your customer. Trust me, after listing all she wants with the other lady and being sent on her way, she'll be back, ..............with a much shorter list of demands.
http://www.***********.com/photo/victoria-s-secret-pink-themed-sweet-16
I have a customer who is interested in a 9x9 square key lime pie cake (this serves 40) for the bottom and a 6 inch round chocolate for the top (this serves 10). All fondant covered. She only wants two tiers but she wants them to be the same design as the bottom two in the pic. she wants the "LOVE" on the top tier and the "PINK" on the bottom done the same as the pic with the white and silver. She wants the ribbon and diamond wrap on the base of both tiers, a light pink fondant 3D dog (like in the next link) but also hand painted with hot pink and black leopard print, the small bag topper all out of fondant so she can save it with the circle logo on the bag but a K in the middle like on this link
http://kandicescakes.blogspot.ca
I am a scratch baker, which she mentioned that she liked box cake better so I can do that for her if I wanted, I told her that I do not offer box cakes only scratch. Also I use ganache under my fondant. I priced it at $270. Does that seem unreasonable?
She came back with "well I had a cake done before (not by me) with some fondant on it and it only cost me $120".
I told her that a basic 2 tier buttercream exterior cake with basic flavour and design start at $100. I cannot work for hours on a cake for free.
My question is am I charging too much?
I am sadly envisioning her cake on cake wrecks--you know one of those side by sides. This is what I asked for but this is what I got cause I was too cheap to order from someone with talent and instead took the lowest bidder! Your Chanel cake was AMAZING! She doesnt deserve a cake from you if she cant appreciate how awesome they are!
Exactly. There are always exceptions to every story out there...no reason to be offended.
I was over it about 15 minutes after I posted 
I agree with you there are exceptions to every situation and that's why I posted. I don't want to distract any further from the original post. Sorry mmmcake0072 your cakes are beautiful by the way.
I was over it about 15 minutes after I posted I agree with you there are exceptions to every situation and that's why I posted. I don't want to distract any further from the original post. Sorry mmmcake0072 your cakes are beautiful by the way.
Sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone.
I just ran across the same thing. I priced a pregnant belly cake for someone along with 24 cupcakes. I purchased 3 packs of the Wilton monkeys as cupcake toppers that I had 50% off coupons for. I made sure she wanted them, made a special trip to pick them up and gave her the 50% off coupons. I also had too buy the special pans and since I live in a small town had to travel an hour away to pick them up. I did not take that into consideration with the pricing. I had been talking with the mom to be. I didn't realize her mother would be paying for all of this. So I told mom to be price $65. I try to stay lower because of the small town I live in. She told her mother and I received an email from the mother questioning pricing. She wanted separate pricing on the cake and cupcakes, offered to buy the monkeys from me, told me my price was steep, and how she couldn't afford it because she had to pay for all the food for the shower. My thoughts are if you went to a local bakery could you get that cake for that price. I can't help it if you have over stepped your budget. I offer a service, a specially decorated cake so would you go to your dentist and try to talk their prices down?
I did all the special trips for this cake because I have made cakes for the daughter. She has passed my name around and have made a few cakes because of that. So I take that into consideration when making a cake for her. I have the same question, was my pricing off? 
I just ran across the same thing. I priced a pregnant belly cake for someone along with 24 cupcakes. I purchased 3 packs of the Wilton monkeys as cupcake toppers that I had 50% off coupons for. I made sure she wanted them, made a special trip to pick them up and gave her the 50% off coupons. I also had too buy the special pans and since I live in a small town had to travel an hour away to pick them up. I did not take that into consideration with the pricing. I had been talking with the mom to be. I didn't realize her mother would be paying for all of this. So I told mom to be price $65. I try to stay lower because of the small town I live in. She told her mother and I received an email from the mother questioning pricing. She wanted separate pricing on the cake and cupcakes, offered to buy the monkeys from me, told me my price was steep, and how she couldn't afford it because she had to pay for all the food for the shower. My thoughts are if you went to a local bakery could you get that cake for that price. I can't help it if you have over stepped your budget. I offer a service, a specially decorated cake so would you go to your dentist and try to talk their prices down?
I did all the special trips for this cake because I have made cakes for the daughter. She has passed my name around and have made a few cakes because of that. So I take that into consideration when making a cake for her. I have the same question, was my pricing off?
Yes, it was way too low! Just because one person says your price is steep doesn't mean that you're overpriced, it means that they can't afford it. If they want to pay less they should get less.
just look at this as an unfortunate learning experience, and don't do any work on a cake until you have a deposit or payment in advance from now on. When you order a custom furniture or a custom mattress they don't make it until you pay in full, so why should bakers be any different?
Thanks Costumeczar! I thought I was being really reasonable with all the running around and picking up supplies. It is a learning experience! My problem is I don't have anyone in this area where I live to compare my work to. Mostly at home bakers that don't work with fondant. There is only a couple of bakeries and they do minimal fondant work. So I struggle just to cover my cost much less my time.
AHi all! I don't seem to be getting notifications about theses responses..... Anyways she had not gotten back to me, I figure the same..... She is trying to get prices from other callers. I am feeling much better about this whole situation thanks to all of you.
Cakemommy2012 I just found a link referring to a bride and a $350 cake she settled for. The Op had originally been contacted for the cake but the bride went with the ridiculously low bidder....obviously! Wish I could find the post to refer it,......
Cakemommy2012 I just found a link referring to a bride and a $350 cake she settled for. The Op had originally been contacted for the cake but the bride went with the ridiculously low bidder....obviously! Wish I could find the post to refer it,......
The saying that "You get what you paid for" has never been truer than with cake decorating! ANY ONE can do a cake--BUT do you want it CHEAP or RIGHT!!!
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