Hey. So I have this customer who contacted me on facebook and asked me to do a 21st birthday cake.

she paid her £20 deposit but since then when I have messaged her asking for the name of the person on the cake and final colour scheme, she will not get back to me at all.

i kept messaging her to contact me and if she had not done so by last Friday I would have to cancel her order but she still hasn't replied and I've even posted on her facebook wall.

my question is what do I do? I have other people wanting her space but shes paid a deposit. Do I bake the cake with the chance she won't turn up or cancel the order and worry if she turns up to collect??

Do you have her phone number? Maybe give her a call. Whenever I confirm an order I always make sure to get multiple types of contact info including phone and email. That way nobody can say you didn't try! :p I also require full payment up front so I know the customer will be less likely to disappear on me.

It's a tricky situation, I'll admit. If I were in  your place I would probably bake the cake anyway because she already paid a deposit as she was asked to do. 

Hth!! 

I don't have Her number, no :( 

I have messaged some of her facebook fiends but they have said they don't get back to her either :( 

Do you have any signed agreement? I think the answer is:

1. Your deposit is non-refunable, and you owe a balance of _____. If I don't hear back from you by 5PM on Wednesday, I will have to cancel your order and you forfeit the deposit.  (IF you have anything signed)

OR

2. If I don't hear back from you by 5PM on Wednesday, I will have to cancel your order as I cannot complete a cake without knowing the appropriate details.  (If you have nothing signed)

I don't have a written agreement but I have stated in writing that she had till 5pm Friday but nothing. 

So, give her one last "extension" and take a different order.

"Our agreement was you had to provide _________ by 5pm on Friday. You have not responded. I am sorry, but if I don't hear from you by 5PM on Monday, I will have to cancel your order. "

What else cam you do?

If you don't have a written agreement then be sure to return the deposit. For future orders it's a good idea to have the customer sign a contract stating they understand and agree to the terms, if there's no signed contract then there's no order. A more formal order intake process will help, so if someone sends you a Facebook message you can direct them to your web site where they can fill out a real order form with all the information you'll need.

It's not a nice situation.

 But I'd rather do as above said and proceed with other orders, refunding 20£ if necessary than making a cake for 20£ that nobody wants, loosing money on it (as 20£ isn't covering any of your costs) AND loosing money on orders I turned down.

 Lesson learned for the future! Sorry for you.