So, I don't know why exactly, but I seem to be getting more people who feel the need to tell me not only that they are going with someone else, but how much the other business is charging them for the cake. For example, I send them a quote of $200 for a two tier, fairly detailed birthday cake with fondant accents, gum paste topper, etc. They respond with "We found someone who will do it for $80." Ok, good for you??? 

My question is, should I even respond to this? Usually, if someone responds to a quote that it's out of their budget, but thanks for the quote, I will just respond with a "Ok, thanks for letting us know!" because I really do appreciate when someone takes the time to write back instead of just getting *crickets* after I send a quote. BUT, when someone responds like that, telling me how they found it so much cheaper, it kind of irritates me and makes me wonder if they are expecting me to say "OH, well in that case, we'll do it for $75!!!" Which will never happen of course. Or are they just not so subtly trying to imply that we're overpriced? 

I guess I should just reply with the same "Ok, thanks for letting us know!" that I always do. But the stubborn streak in me just doesn't even want to dignify it with a response. 

I wouldn't respond! They're telling you what they bought that for, thinking you should listen to them and follow that other decorator and charge "reasonable" prices. To explain to them why your prices are what they are is a lost cause, you're not going to win them over. Seek different customers all together!!

A

The professional thing to do is to reply, I would reply with something like "Thanks for following up! I wish you the best of luck with your event, and please let me know if we can serve you in the future."

AOr, you could respond like this: "Oh well done! Wow - less than half the price! Please do send a photograph so I can make contribution to cakewrecks.com".

I like the response from Jason. Very nice, pleasant and professional, and puts your name in their mind as being such. I would think they will be contacting you in the future.

Always be pleasant, nice and professional no matter what.

Andrew
 

I agree, Jason's reply is a keeper. Sometimes I think people want to say they got it cheaper, but come just short of blurting it out.  I just got this one, "Thank you, but I have someone who is going to make my cakes".   Is it just me, or is that odd phrasing? To me, it almost sounds like I was calling her out of the blue and trying to get her to order a cake. And she didn't have to tell it it was cheaper, I knew it anyway.
 

I hope her cake sucks....is that wrong?

AI agree with Jason.

I read this somewhere: " Good cake isn't cheap, cheap cake isn't good"

AI've been following this thread and lo & behold this morning... I get an email fom a client (whom I had been working with closely - consultation, countless emails, contract sent) for a very busy weekend in Oct. saying that a friend of theirs offered to make the cake I designed for them as a "gift." Um, yeah. Good luck with that.

Just had to share :/

I would also respond with Jason's wording.

I also think some people use this as a bargaining tool. They really don't have someone lined up to make it for the cheaper price, but they're seeing if you are willing to come down at all. I had someone do that once and I politely wrote back "best of luck with your event, keep us in mind for future occassions, yadda yadda". A week later they emailed that their other baker "fell through" and could I still do it? I'm fairly certain there was no other baker and since I held firm on my price, I wound up getting it.

I don't know... maybe it's b/c this is not my main source of income, but my philosophy is that my price is set and it reflects the value of time spent away from my family. If someone doesn't want to pay it, then I'd rather have those hours free. I don't feel bad at all when someone says no because of price. If they say no because they don't like my cake or design, that's a different story.

I would ask who they ( if they will tell you ) are and check them out as to quality and expertise's.Then you need to re think your prices or say "You get what you pay for that is if you think you are better them they are.or My cakes aren't for everyone!
 

Pheadramax, I have thought about responding to her and letting her know that the design she wants requires someone with a high level of skill IF she wants the cake to have that "Wow!" factor that she claimed she wanted.

The design was to be a "Rival Stadiums" cake - one side of the cake made to look like Neyland stadium and the other half was Rupp stadium in KY. Made to serve around 100. BIG cake.

Yep, she's getting a Cakewrecks sheetcake, I can see it now.

A$80 for a two tiered cake? Yeesh. Not worth my time. Dang when are people gonna start factoring in all the time they spend into their pricing? Sorry, but I can't turn a profit emailing, talking on phone, designing, and THEN actually making and delivering ANY cake for $80.

because newbies..myself included at first.. think that anything over actual cash spent is profit.

AAnd I sincerely hope no one tells customers that theyget what they pay for. Writing a blog ppost about quality and what you get for the money you pay is one thing, but actually saying that to a person you're communicating with is tacky with a capital T.

A

It's a process...learning from the school of hard knocks. I never realized just how much time I would spend doing dishes and cleaning counters, sweeping and mopping floors. No dishwasher in the kitchen I use so I/m getting dishwasher hands...lol

I agree with what Jason typed, I think it's nice to acknowledge them that you got their email and wish them luck and remind them to remember you in the future.  It is nice when they respond back to you.  I've had two people who never responded back so far.  Which if it comes to the point where I can't do it because of short notice, I don't have a problem telling them that.  I just think it's rude b/c to sit down and give quotes on a few cake options that they want isn't a minute job.

I don't have my own business, but every so often I'll make a cake and/or cupcakes for friends or my husband's coworkers for the cost of the ingredients.  Doesn't bother me one bit as I consider it to be practice for doing techniques I don't use at work :)   One of my husband's coworkers asked me if I'd be interested in making a dinosaur cake for her son's birthday in a couple of weeks.  Today she told my husband that her mother intervened and said that no, she'd get a cake from "somewhere else" because it would be cheaper than to pay me for the ingredients.

?!?!?