Things Not To Ask/say To A Baker!

Decorating By step0nmi Updated 20 Oct 2016 , 2:28pm by ch5964

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MimiFix Posted 22 Oct 2014 , 6:21pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ellavanilla 
 

... I never heard back from her. 

 

Now it's 3 days from the event, still no word of confirmation. I'm so tense! My last email to her emphasized that if i don't hear from her today, no cake, but

you KNOW how people can be. Of course I don't have her phone number either, because I hadn't gotten to actually writing up the order. GRRRRR. 

 

If she shows up for a cake on Friday I'm gonna feel really badly about it. 

 

Did you tell her you need a deposit to hold the date? People who don't follow through are not your problem. It sounds as if you did everything and more. It's also possible that she does not want a cake from you and she thinks her silence is enough.

 

ellavanilla, you worry too much. I understand how you feel, but it isn't good for your mental or physical well being.

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ellavanilla Posted 22 Oct 2014 , 6:30pm
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I wouldn't normally take a deposit for a cake at this price point. 

 

I  agree with everything you've said, I just have one of those feelings

that she thinks she's getting a cake on Friday. 

 

thanks! 

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MBalaska Posted 22 Oct 2014 , 7:42pm
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Quote:

Originally Posted by jgifford 

"...............

Sometimes you just want to reach out and slap their Reset button.

 

That button was lost in a melt down of stupidity a long time ago.  You're going to have to aim for their wallets so they can actually feel it.  Like @MimiFix says above.

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StephanieK Posted 26 Oct 2014 , 2:22am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by MyFairDiva 
 

Just to update, the Jack Daniel's cake was a success! She even sent me pictures of the place and the cake cut, said: "We all loved it! Even my mother and she's really picky!"

That's definitely something to say to a baker me thinks ;)

 

 

 

Wow!  That is amazing!  How did you do get the lettering to be so perfect?

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Pastrybaglady Posted 27 Oct 2014 , 10:54pm
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AI have an order for cupcakes for a little girl's birthday at school and the mom just told me 3 of the kids are "allergic to frosting"... uh, that's a new one for me. What's in frosting that's not in the cake? Butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla... they probably just want to cut down on the sugar which is fine, but 3 moms used the word "allergic". So okay, 3 bald cupcakes it is!

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winniemog Posted 27 Oct 2014 , 11:22pm
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AI'm allergic to idiots.

It's a proper, full-body reaction. My blood pressure and heart rate are raised, I see red spots in front of my eyes and I have trouble breathing normally.

It usually settles with a large drink.

If I have repeated exposure to an idiot, then I have to medicate myself with a very large PITA fee. It seems to reduce the symptoms markedly.

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Gingerlocks Posted 28 Oct 2014 , 4:00pm
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Quote:

Originally Posted by winniemog 

I'm allergic to idiots.

It's a proper, full-body reaction. My blood pressure and heart rate are raised, I see red spots in front of my eyes and I have trouble breathing normally.

It usually settles with a large drink.

If I have repeated exposure to an idiot, then I have to medicate myself with a very large PITA fee. It seems to reduce the symptoms markedly.

Buaha..is that contageous? Cause I think I might have caught that too..

 

I've always wonddered what does PITA mean? I've seen it here a few times but never figured it out.

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denetteb Posted 28 Oct 2014 , 4:08pm
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PITA = Pain In The A$$

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Claire138 Posted 28 Oct 2014 , 5:40pm
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I've had a new one today - a woman calls to order a cake, I give her the price; she hems and haws and says she'll call me back which she does a while later to tell me that she's found someone on FB who can do the same cake for 30€ can I match the price. I said no but told her she  should take her up on it if it's more her budget to which she says "but your cakes are so much nicer and professional I really want yours". If there was an emoticon for banging my head against the (kitchen) wall I'd insert it here.

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MimiFix Posted 28 Oct 2014 , 6:14pm
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She tried to bargain you down, @Claire138. That's happening a lot these days. Amateur cakers will say okay and are overjoyed that they got a sale. Unfortunately, this process has only succeeded in degrading the entire cake industry.  

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Claire138 Posted 28 Oct 2014 , 6:17pm
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Definitely

 

(I'll say it again - a lot of the blame for this goes to 20 minute tv shows that don't show the amount of work or people behind the scenes or price that goes into each cake, therefore leading everyone to believe they "must" have a cake but do not want to pay for it)

 

How much can she be making though if she's only charging 30€ for a 6 inch cake? Madness.

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sannalee Posted 30 Oct 2014 , 2:18am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by jgifford 
 

We serve cake as one dessert option in our restaurant.  I don't have time to decorate them, but they have super-smooth buttercream.

 

The first time I served Salted Caramel Cake, a customer called me over to his table.  In a very low whisper, he said "There's little tiny pieces of broken glass all over this cake."

 

Really. *snicker*

 

1.  Would I really serve cake with broken glass on it?

 

2.  What part of "SALTED Caramel" did you not understand?

 

Sometimes you just want to reach out and slap their Reset button.

Oh my gosh, I had this happen to me once when I was working in a cafe. Some people.

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Magic Mouthfuls Posted 31 Oct 2014 , 7:06am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Claire138 
 

I've had a new one today - a woman calls to order a cake, I give her the price; she hems and haws and says she'll call me back which she does a while later to tell me that she's found someone on FB who can do the same cake for 30€ can I match the price. I said no but told her she  should take her up on it if it's more her budget to which she says "but your cakes are so much nicer and professional I really want yours". If there was an emoticon for banging my head against the (kitchen) wall I'd insert it here.

Ahh yes.  And I wonder how many times the local Ferrari dealer gets someone in saying " I just test drove a base model Hyundai [insert name of your country's cheapest car here] at the dealer next door, but your car is so much nicer and professional - can you match the price?"

 

This post should be titled "things not to ask/say to a baker - and also - all the things you wish you could say back but know you can't"

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MBalaska Posted 1 Nov 2014 , 7:51pm
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Magic Mouthfuls 
 Ahh yes.  And I wonder how many times the local Ferrari dealer gets someone in saying " I just test drove a base model Hyundai [insert name of your country's cheapest car here] at the dealer next door, but your car is so much nicer and professional - can you match the price?"

 

Well said @Magic Mouthfuls

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TSMarjorie Posted 3 Nov 2014 , 3:11am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by ladun 
 

wonder if anyone had heard this before  ;A customer walks in and ask: how much is a 6" cake? what about 8"?then what of a 12"? I tell them the individual prices, next I hear the total of the 3 cakes, then for the shocking part, please put them on each other to form a 3 tier cake.

 

 my reply; oh ok, i'll make your individual cakes:(, when you get home you can go stack them yourself

OK, I got one for you.  One of my sorority sisters got married (in the mid 1990s) before I started decorating cakes.  Her wedding cake was gorgeous (untrained eye)!  Fast forward 4 years ago.  She told me that she ordered 3 tiers of her cake from a baker (only paid $90 for 3 tiers) and purchased the other 3 tiers from a grocery store!  WTF!  She then told me her niece was getting married soon and she wanted to do the same thing for her wedding.  All I said was "that's interesting".  My sorority sister then told me that she suggested her niece contact me.  WTF!  When her niece contacted me, I quoted her a price for a 3-tiered wedding cake.  She said her aunt/my sorority sister only pain $90 for her cake from the baker.  I told her that I was not a cake decorator back then and did not know the relationship between the baker and my sorority sister, that inflation has been going on for years, and that I will not agree to that arrangement.  Needless to say, she did not get 1/2 of her wedding cake from me . . .

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TSMarjorie Posted 3 Nov 2014 , 3:12am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by LizKatherine 
 

I've read through some of these posts, they are way too funny!

 

This one is great. After I finished my burberry purse cake (in my birthday album), it literally took me hours and hours to do the detail work and stripes and paint with gin, a few coats. So I was so happy to be done, elated. And my friend who was playing a video game (he is not in the business) takes a look and says, "oh wow, great job. I'd buy that for 35$!" Buzz kill anyone? I was like, you are soooo off. 

WAY Off!

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MyFairDiva Posted 27 Nov 2014 , 1:12pm
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A

Quote:
Originally Posted by StephanieK 

Wow! That is amazing! How did you do get the lettering to be so perfect?

 

Whoah so sorry to get back to you so late!! What I did was: - Find the logo online as a vector illustration (.eps file). Most logos are available. The nice trick about vector illustration is that you can shrink or enlarge as big as you need it! - Since I was at work and didn't have all my tools available, I used Word. Made a New file, Insert image, used my .eps file and voilà!... You just made a template. - Print your template and stick it to light weight clean cardboard. - Use an x-acto knife to cut each letter carefully from it. These are the molds you will use later on your sugarpaste. - Roll a small piece of your sugarpaste over a dusted cutting board (say, enough for a single character or two if you're quick). Place your cardboard letter on it and cut with your knife.

Yes, it is time consuming! but this way you can play with your logo sizes too, so not all is bad. It's a lot quicker to cut the fondant letters than it is to cut all the cardboard ones... Sometimes they have so many details!

I hope that helped :)

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StephanieK Posted 28 Nov 2014 , 12:38pm
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That does sound time consuming but it looks just like the real lettering on an actual bottle.  I am still very new to all of this, so I had no idea how you did it.  Thanks so much for taking the time to respond.  Awesome job on the cake!      :-D 

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lunawhisper0013 Posted 29 Nov 2014 , 11:16pm
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There was a customer who called the shop where I work to complain about a cake. She said that she picked up the order 10 days ago and when she cut into it today, it was molded.  I asked if she refrigerated the cake and she said that we never told her that she had to refrigerate and that for the $130 she paid for it, it should not have molded.

 

Seriously?!

 

I let her talk to the owner who was just as baffled as I was. The lady went on to say that Walmart cakes don't go bad as fast and she wanted a refund. My boss told her that we don't use preservatives in our cakes like the corporate brands have to because they are frozen and shipped all over the counrty.

 

When she, again, demanded a refund, my boss told her that we had delivered the product exactly the way she asked for it and would not be giving a refund. She said that she would be calling her lawyer and my boss told her "Okay, we'll expect the call". the customer said, "So you still won't give me a refund?"

"Nope. Have a blessed Thanksgiving."

"Well, I'm going to have my lawyer call you."

"No problem. Bye."

 

Does she not know that breads and cakes mold?! Is it just a ploy for more money on Black Friday? What would she even get after a lawyer and court costs anyway?

 

I told my boss that I was looking forward to seeing her on Judge Judy. We haven't heard back from her or the lawyer yet...

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Pastrybaglady Posted 30 Nov 2014 , 5:16am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by lunawhisper0013 

 

Does she not know that breads and cakes mold?! Is it just a ploy for more money on Black Friday? What would she even get after a lawyer and court costs anyway?

 

I told my boss that I was looking forward to seeing her on Judge Judy. We haven't heard back from her or the lawyer yet...

It really is unbelievable the people who walk around, have jobs and seem to function and yet there is this unexplainable crazy that lies beneath the surface.  And then of course there are those that think if they just mention the word "Lawyer" you'll get all freaked out and start writing out a check.  At $100+/hour, yeah, you'll be hearing from an attorney...

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ladyhawke917 Posted 2 Dec 2014 , 4:43am
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I want to know who lets breads and cakes sit around uncut for 10 days? It's all I can do to get home without tucking in! :twisted:

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Lizzybug78 Posted 9 Dec 2014 , 7:03pm
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A

Original message sent by ladyhawke917

I want to know who lets breads and cakes sit around uncut for 10 days? It's all I can do to get home without tucking in! :twisted:

I did a cake last Thursday for my sister in law's 40th last Friday which my brother asked me to do, and which I charged less than half price for. I was peeved about it in the first place for a variety of reasons, which was cemented when I didn't even get a thank you text from either my brother or my sil when hubby dropped the cake off.

I spoke to my mum today and asked if they actually liked it, and she said they thought it was too good to cut with the friends they were with so are saving it for her family celebration this Sunday. Her family own a bakery. The cake will be 10 days old and it's being served to a family of bakers. Awesome.

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SpeciallyYours Posted 10 Dec 2014 , 9:16pm
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If they are bakers, then I would think they would be wondering why she would keep it that long...and then serve it to them!!  I hope she at least kept it in the fridge! Crazy!!!

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ellavanilla Posted 11 Dec 2014 , 12:58am
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A[QUOTE]"Can you make me a standing bear cake for ....... (Wait for it).......tomorrow....it can be small"[/QUOTE]

SMH

Ultimately I quoted her a very modest price for the same cake for Saturday delivery. I never heard back.

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acg13 Posted 23 Dec 2014 , 10:22pm
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Just curious- how did you write your own terms and conditions? I want to write my own, but I want to make sure that I do not leave anything out!

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acg13 Posted 23 Dec 2014 , 10:24pm
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Quote:

Originally Posted by MyFairDiva 

Arghhh I need to vent.

I'm a beginner in this world, mostly I have made cakes and cupcakes for close friends and some word of mouth has spread, but still, only a couple of my cakes have gone to people I had never met before with good results so far. This is not my main job yet as I work full time at an office, so I make cakes in my spare time and usually accept requests with 2 weeks in advance, so I can organize my week.

Last Thursday, my brother emailed me at work, saying one of his friends needed a cake for 30 people, for her husband's birthday, she had in mind a "Jack Daniel's cake". He sent me a picture of a label cake from a search in Google, and I thought 'well, this looks relatively easy', it's a sheet cake covered in black with the label made on top. Ok I said, just ask her about when she needs it. Turns out, it is for this Friday the 3rd. I already had another cake requested for Saturday, but said I would squeeze it in being that it was his friend asking, and I didn't want to let my brother down or make him look bad. She inquired about flavors, and I sent her a list of options and preferred combos along with my prices and my personal email so we could keep in touch.

That Thursday I heard nothing back from her. On Friday I asked my brother if he had heard anything back, and he had not. Still, off from work I went directly to buy the pan I needed for said cake, just in case.

At 6.30PM on Friday, she writes back, saying she had changed her mind about the size, she would be needing a cake to feed 20 instead of 30; she asked how big it would be, and also, how about if it was a round cake instead, how big would it be then. She said she was not sure about the fillings yet. I replied to her questions, and politely asked to confirm flavors by Sunday if she was ordering.

On Saturday by 7.30PM, she emails saying she's out of town and she lost the email with the flavor combinations (huh?) and she was still undecided... OMG at this point I was picturing her as a trouble customer. So I send her the flavors again, hoping I would get a prompt reply... but I got No-Thing.

On Sunday I assume she isn't ordering because I didn't hear back from her at all during the day, I was already busy working in advance for the other cake I have to make. I went to bed by 11PM last night and turned off my phone.

This morning I open my email and OHH Surprise! She emailed at 11.50PM last night, finally with a decision on flavors, and asking "What about the design? do you have any ideas or should I get you some?" - REALLY PEOPLE!?... >:/ This whole time I am thinking "Jack Daniel's label sheet cake, covered in black fondant with lettering on white gumpaste and accents in white royal icing" and she's picturing a design? - NO girl, I am making you the label cake of the first picture I was sent.

At this point, should I go ahead and make her cake? I've never asked but, should I just ask for a deposit of half the price?... Am I being too much of a B word? icon_sad.gif

Just curious- how did you write your own terms and conditions? I want to write my own, but I want to make sure that I do not leave anything out!

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Delynn Posted 24 Dec 2014 , 1:55am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by glenskendall 
 

How about asking for your recipes! Umm... No, I don't share my recipes. Like I can walk into a restaurant and ask for their recipes? "Umm, excuse me McDonald's but can you give me the recipe for a Big Mac so that I can make it myself and not spend any money on your product. That would be great!" LOL

Yeah, I've heard that one too, both about my cookies, truffles, and secret recipe chicken salad, all of which my mom asked for.  Ironically AFTER my sister had asked me a few times for my "Secret Recipe Chicken Salad" recipe... then my mom asked me for it too.  Really?  So she could turn around and give it to my sister? I wanted to suggest they both look up the word "secret" in the dictionary :mischeivous:.  There have been many recipes that we have shared but I want to have a few that are strictly mine.  Regarding NOT giving up my cookie recipe... Nope, sorry, not sharing since I had spent ???? hours making 11 different sugar cookie recipes, one right after the other, laying them on a cake cardboard and writing taste, texture, difficulty, etc. notes about each one, how many 1/8" increments each recipe spread, etc., then choosing the best one through process of elimination.  I don't share recipes for goodies that I sell as a business.

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MimiFix Posted 24 Dec 2014 , 2:09am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Delynn   I don't share recipes for goodies that I sell as a business.

 

Giving away your recipes is like giving away the keys to your cash register. Giving Away Your Business Recipes, FAQ

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Delynn Posted 24 Dec 2014 , 3:59am
post #3059 of 3221

Quote:

Originally Posted by MimiFix 
 

 

Giving away your recipes is like giving away the keys to your cash register. Giving Away Your Business Recipes, FAQ

YES!!!!! THAT'S IT !!! EXACTLY !!!!! :)

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Delynn Posted 24 Dec 2014 , 5:22am
post #3060 of 3221

Quote:

Originally Posted by acg13 
 

Just curious- how did you write your own terms and conditions? I want to write my own, but I want to make sure that I do not leave anything out!I

 

I realize this post is after the fact but.... Wow... you should run farrrrrrr away from that customer, OR...SUGGESTION... politely let her know that you really wish you were a bakery with lots of staff to help you whip up the cake she'd like BUT, since you are a staff of 1 and work full time you have a VERY small window of time to make ANY cake (custom or not), which must include time to plan/design, shop for supplies, etc."  Also add that you don't want to just slap a cake together, rather, you want to produce quality work that you'll BOTH be happy with.  Let her know that "99.9% of the time you REQUIRE a full 2 weeks notice prior to an event, and that ALL details must be final by that point/ _date_."  If you choose to say the following, DO NOT BE SHY... say it CONFIDENTLY:  "The way my process works is that if we discuss details by phone, I'll send you a confirmation email, listing the details we agreed upon, so that if there's any miss-understanding/communication, we can work it out right away AND the email will serve as a reference point if either of us needs to double check any details.  Once details are agreed on, you'll need to either drop off or mail your 50% deposit within 2-3 business days to 'RESERVE YOUR DATE ON MY CALENDAR, SO NO ONE ELSE CAN TAKE YOUR DATE.'  Once I receive your deposit, I'll email you to let you know I received it and RESERVE your date on my calendar, again...so no one else can take it.  Next, your balance of $___ is due upon delivery/pickup (for weddings, balance is due 2 weeks before the event; no refunds of any deposit $ if the event is cancelled less than 30 days prior to the event, because I may have declined other orders for this date; you can say 'it's an industry standard')."  Again, this is just how my process works and it has worked great so far for me.  You might have different ideas of what you want YOUR policies to be.  If a customer doesn't like something about my policies, I just explain that I had to develop these policies after I was burned a couple times in the past and that my policies have worked very well for both parties, after that, plus both parties will know what to expect.  Again, this is just my OPINION; hope some of it helps.   :) 

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