When "that" customer comes calling wanting to order another cake from you after they made your life miserable the last time they got a cake from you--whether it be they were annoying, difficult to work with, returned the cake cause it was "dry", etc...

How do you deal with "THAT" customer....

I would politely decline the order, saying that I'm already booked for that particular day.  There's no need to repeat the same hell ;)

You *ALWAYS* have the right to refuse a customer.  There is always the 'I/m booked for that date".

A"What date did you say? Hmm, let me check my calendar... Oh! It looks like I am booked that entire week! I'm sorry... Have you ever tried so and so's cakes? [insert worst/best local baker in your area] I hear they are fabulous, but I don't know for sure. Thank you so much for your enquiry!"

HAHA  These are all great! I just had an experience where the customer returned 1 of the 2 cakes she ordered as being dry (even though both cakes were from the same batch) She was especially annoying and difficult to deal with on top of the insult of a return--- and am bracing myself for her next order!  At my bakery I'm not the only one who takes cake orders so I'm wondering is it bad that I am already plotting ways to make her cake as ugly as possible next time!  LOL 

Times like these my own bakery can't come soon enough!!!

Yup, so sorry, busy time of year, can't take your cake order.  Try again next year.

Or if the "booked" excuse doesn't work, 

Thanks so much for wanting to give us another chance, but after our previous working relationship, we feel you should go in another direction.

I don't think you'll find our product satisfactory - it hasn't changed from last time!

A

No. If you can't or won't provide a product that will meet the customer's expectations, don't accept the order.

If you find yourself actually doing this (instead of just thinking about it) it's probably time to take a break from your business.

When I worked in the bakery, I had no choice but to accept every order. The only person that could decline orders was my managment team. It made it difficult when I had difficult customers. When I start my business, I will "reserve the right to refuse any order."

I would go along with the ones that say you're booked, and not the one's that say to decline the order based on your past experience with her (and you tell her something along those lines). She's trying to order from you again, so your cakes couldn't have been that bad. No reason to put a bee in her bonnet. You refuse based on the past, and she might start bad mouthing you to a friend, and on and on. If she thinks you're booked, it's not because of a reflection of her and her past behavior, so chances are she wouldn't be upset. You upset one customer, you have the chance of losing other potential clients...ie: her friends.