AI'm not sure if this is the right place to post this or not but I run a cake business from home in the UK and today donated a fruit cake to the raffle for my daughter's primary school Christmas Bazaar but when I got there somebody told me one of the polar bears's ears had fallen off. Only when I saw the cake it was much worse - depsite me telling them the lid won't go on the cake somebody had obviously jammed it on it as one polar bear was missing its head, its scarf was damaged and its bow was broken (with part of it missing so it couldn't be fixed), another bear was missing his ears, several snowballs were dislodged and a present at the front of the cake had its bow missing. I could have cried. I took it into the kitchen area and did my best and when I took it back explained that it was still drying and it shouldn't be moved too much only for the woman to get grumpy and tell me it was for a guess the weight of the cake game and people would be picking it up! She then got grumpy because I didn't know the weight of it!
I'm angry it was damaged and angry it was meant to have been a raffle prize and they used it as a game. I'm also gutted so many people saw the cake not looking as it should (somebody told me the ears fell off again later). I feel it looks bad on me and my business especially since I'm in a small village and the only cake business here.
So should I speak to the school or just forget it? What should I do? I've already decided not to donate another cake ever again!
Thanks x
Chalk it up to experience and move on . If asked again you can explain why the answer is no.
Thank you both, I guess I'll have to do that. Just so upset that it was damaged and then that it sat there being a very poor display of my work. Just added photos of the cake and it makes me feel sad to think somebody was so careless with something that took several hours to make. The bears had been made around a week before and were set and secure, they'd all survived the car journey so should have been fine so I know they must have been very rough indeed with it. Oh well.
".....I run a cake business from home in the UK and today donated a fruit cake to the raffle for my daughter's primary school Christmas Bazaar ............
I'm angry it was damaged and angry it was meant to have been a raffle prize and they used it as a game...........................
I've already decided not to donate another cake ever again............
May I answer as a customer as I don't have a business.......Chance favors a prepared mind.
Probably one bossy minion took it upon herself to play games with your cake. Hopefully they accomplished the goal of raising money for the school with your cake. However What happens when it's out of your hands is out of your control.
Luckily we can change our minds, and we can change what we choose to give away and who we give it to. Next time, how about a less fancy cake with a few 'Patchwork' cut outs on it, so if they go Full-Sumo-Wrestling it will hold up better. And yes I agree with the previous folks. When asked next time you can explain that your specialty cakes are not footballs. Most likely everyone in your small village already knows that you make pretty and delicious cakes!!!! {Let them pay you for the fancy ones.}
They won't remember the cake that got destroyed at the bazaar. They will remember how you handled yourself after it was destroyed. Best Wishes and many more years of prosperous business.
mb
If you want to donate something in the future just do a gift certificate with very clear expiration dates. In my experience the things that you donate to schools never earn enough to make you feel good about it, and it ends up being more irritating than anything else. I'd rather write a check and take a nap than work for X number of hours on something that they put a $5 price tag on.
Thanks for all your replies and you are so right costumeczar - a nap would have been much better for me! I won't be donating a cake again, be it a voucher or cupcakes it'll be something else for sure. My mum reminded me that the cake I donated to the Summer Fete raffle got shoved in a back room somewhere and forgotten about so nobody even saw it, so their track record isn't great either! I wish I'd remembered that earlier!
I emailed a lady on the PTA to see if she knew who had the cake so I could repair it for them and found out the cake was in the school office so have now got it back and am fixing it ready to take back when I pick my daughter up from school today. The other bears head was loose too so I guess she might have put that back on before I got there. The PTA lady also told me that whilst they were setting up they put the lid on the 'stop people breathing over it' - erm ok! She also claimed they hadn't been told not to put the lid on but the lady at reception said she did tell them and I know her well and trust she would have done. I also told them how upset I was and how I wouldn't donate another cake but would donate something else. It didn't help it was probably one of the busiest weeks I've had this year and was tired and stressed out too and really could have done with it! A lesson has been learned!
Oh and thanks MBalaska, your message made me laugh and cheered me up no end - thank you so much for your wise words x
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%