Wrong Color Cake - Unhappy Customer
Business By tracymancuso Updated 7 Sep 2018 , 2:02pm by -K8memphis
My business partner decorated a cake for a wedding this past weekend while I was out of town. The cake was supposed to be a very light pink color with gold brushing. The shade of pink that she used was much darker than the original request. The cake was beautiful, but the mother of the bride has contacted us and said the cake’s color was the only bad thing about the wedding. We obviously feel awful and would like to resolve our mistake, but do not believe a full refund is applicable.
what is appropriate for this situation? We have made hundreds of cakes and have never had this issue. I’ve attatched images of the bride’s request and the cake that was made. 
i mean that color pink is in that picture in the flowers -- omg -- some people!
the cake is a very light pink -- she wanted pale nearly white pink -- please -- it's a good thing i don't do cakes anymore -- nopatience
"but the mother of the bride has contacted us and said the cake’s color was the only bad thing about the wedding. "
well then she had a very successful wedding day for her daughter-- hope the marriage runs as well -- people make me tired
Maybe offer to make them a free anniversary mini-cake.
10% -- all the other elements are there -- 10% and don't offer to make her an anniversary cake or birthday cake or cupcakes anything -- in my opinion i'd send her 10% and be done with it --
whatthedog gate -- i was not referencing your post when i said don't offer anything -- i hadn't read it yet --
i was just meaning -- don't add to your misery, tracymancuso, and don't deal with them any more
. Personally I've been through a simular experience. The MOB was V E R Y vocal both at the venue and at my shop (in front of other costomers) about how I R U I N ED her daughter's wedding so I know your feelings. I don't remember now if I refunded but I know whatever I did did NOT stop the MOB from bad mouthing my shop.
To my eyes the sample cake and what you provided really were very different - different enough to warrent a hefty refund.....but then they did serve the cake (You didn't say, but most likely) so a total refund is not needed. Just be aware that no matter what youdo is not going to stop any bad mouthing :(
I mean, the colors are completely different so I can see someone complaining about that. Saying that it was the only bad thing about the wedding? That is a bit extreme. I would apologize for the mistake and offer her a 10% refund as a previous poster noted.
I am in agreement with -K8memphis and Freckles0829, 10% discount and call it quits. Good grief, the cake was beautiful and if the shade of pink ruined her daughter's wedding, she really has a hard road ahead of her in this life.
I am sorry to say that while the second cake isn't terrible I don't feel it represents the cake they ordered.
I love the top cake - it's beautiful - the shade of pink is perfect and the gold is not too overpoweringly heavy.
Unfortunately the second one comes across to me as a bit garish and clunky with the dark pink and the heavy gold and I have to admit that I would have been disappointed too.
Of course I would have served it - no point wasting perfectly edible food but I still would have been disappointed.
I don't know what the solution here is - it's up to you - but I think it goes a bit beyond 'well they ate it so bad luck' in this case.
This may be an unpopular opinion but here it is:
The cake your partner made was beautiful, but I’m sorry, it was not what they ordered and you should own up to that. Was it beautiful? Sure. Was it even close to the inspiration pic? No. I don’t know what your refund policy is but you owe them something.
Sometimes clients are jerks and just can’t be pleased, but I don’t think that’s the case here. Good luck with whatever you decide
you guys are right -- it needs a dampening of the pink -- i know it doesn't match the picture perfectly but it is an asymmetrically gold painted pink tier cake -- and the pink was too dark and the roses are sad but other than the deeper pink -- that is what they ordered -- the silhouette changed 3-tier to 4-tier -- and plateau are different -- you can't discount the appeal of a footed stand versus a cake planted on a board on a table -- and each is pictured from the opposite angle, one up one down -- but the only real difference -- besides the gold not being a bit more whispy is the deeper pink color -- and it could get a 10% off --
but the mom's remark was so off putting yoiks -- shudder --
the florist might have done the flowers though -- the flowers might look better if the pink was pale --
The roses are actually pretty. I think the two pinks are fighting each other. The pink of the cake is making the dusty rose pink of the rose almost look muddy. But those roses are pretty fresh looking and may have been provided by the florist to match the rest of the flowers so the color choice may have been out of the bakers control.
But looking at it again I do sort of agree with B.E. Sweetcakes about the gold. It is a bit heavy handed, but I really think the main issue is the pink color. If the pink was closer to the light blush of the picture the heavy handed gold wouldn't probably look so extreme.
yeah i agree -- the pink is off -- some of the gold could have been wiped off for the whispier look -- but the pink should have been re-done --
i think most agree 10% --
bs1stb'day said: ......... I am sorry to say that while the second cake isn't terrible I don't feel it represents the cake they ordered. Unfortunately the second one comes across to me as a bit garish and clunky with the dark pink and the heavy gold and I have to admit that I would have been disappointed too. B E Sweetcakes said: The cake your partner made was beautiful, but I’m sorry, it was not what they ordered and you should own up to that. ..... Was it even close to the inspiration pic? No. I don’t know what your refund policy is but you owe them something.
These two have put my thoughts into the proper wording :) That is what I was trying to get across in my above post. Do let us know what you decided and how the offer was taken my all parties involved.
I agree that the photography definitely plays a part in making the first cake look as beautiful as it does - I actually had that in my first post then CC 'whoopsied' me and I forgot to put that in the second time round when I rewrote my post. Learning to take a beautiful photo is half the battle I think :-)
That being said for some reason I really do love the first cake - something about it is so delicate and perfect which the second one missed unfortunately.
@k8memphis ...no offense taken...that is why I love this site. Honest feedback in a safe environment.
@tracymancuso ...I hate color matching. It's my bug a boo.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%