I had to deliver a birthday cake, a smash cake and 120 cupcakes for first birthday party on Saturday.
Today the customer had sent me an email saying the cake was dry. I'm surprised. After doing cakes for an year this is the first time I got a feed back like that. Now he wants a refund. At the delivery, he told the cake was not really symmetrical. So, I refunded $95 at that point too.
The order was done in very short notice as well. I'm really upset about. I spent three sleepless nights doing the cake and now I have to face this.
What should I do?
ADo you think it was dry? Or is there even a possibility it was dry? Maybe he knew how easy it was to get the $95 back, so he figured he would try for more.
Do you sample your cakes when you level them? I always do, even if it is.a.flavor I don't like, like coconut. I have never had a dry cake, I am positive.
AAre you saying the customer posted a negative review somewhere else in addition to contacting you? If so, all you can really do is reply publicly to the review (if you have that option) explaining that you are sorry the customer didn't enjoy the cake, but you already addressed the customer's concern with a refund, and there were no quality issues with the cake based on sampling.
How much was the total charge for the cake?
And was there an actual structural issue with the cake at delivery that caused it to look asymmetrical?
ASo at this point I would just email the customer a similar message (sorry you didn't like it, the samples during the decorating process were fine) and leave it at that.
AIf this is in response to an email you just sent, I would just reiterate your apology and your position that there were no quality issues with the cake, and wish him the best of luck for future events.
I think that you have more than enough as a refund. I would advise him that you have tasted the cake from the trimmings while readying it for decorating and that it was not dry. I would tell him sorry Charlie but you already got more than enough and answer his derogatory review as stated before.
I had to deliver a birthday cake, a smash cake and 120 cupcakes for first birthday party on Saturday.
Today the customer had sent me an email saying the cake was dry. I'm surprised. After doing cakes for an year this is the first time I got a feed back like that. Now he wants a refund. At the delivery, he told the cake was not really symmetrical. So, I refunded $95 at that point too.
The order was done in very short notice as well. I'm really upset about. I spent three sleepless nights doing the cake and now I have to face this.
What should I do?
1. First of all ask by email, WHICH cake was dry.
Your cupcakes could well have been overbaked even if the larger cakes were OK.
2. Get enough sleep when you are baking cakes for $$$. Customers will expect a neat and level cake for that much $$$.
3. NEVER accept an order at short notice if you cannot really make it. Never mind how much $$$ they offer--if you can't make it properly, then don't.
AI would do the same apologise for him not liking the cake, but I would not refund anymore money, you have already done a good will gesture on delivery. There will always be someone that claims that the cake was dry, not right, trying on there luck. It's hard to please almost everyone. I'm sorry that you have had to experience that one bad complaining customer, from what you have explained it sounds that his complaints are not justified.
Jason - I sent him a reply addressing all his concerns.
Cakegrandma - I told him that too. My husband who is very critical about the taste of my cakes, said this is cake is tasty on his first bite. When I gave him to taste.
BakingIrene - I learnt my lessons. It wasn't worth anything I did. the customer was very wavy about the order, I didn't even believe I had a real order until I received the deposit. That was also two days after the day he promised. I didn't reply my mails on time. I should have taken those clues.
The customer was talking about the big cake. Anyway, I'm very disappointed. I anyway have trouble taking in negative comments. This is worse. Regardless of how much I get paid for a cake, if I can make a customer happy that's worth a million for me.
yes that would really sting
and even though the cakes are sight unseen by me
it just sounds like buyer's remorse--he negotiated a big discount already and accepted the order
almost 20% discount--i think 10% woulda been plenty enough
i don't think another refund is going to make him happy either
give this enough time and let this get all healed up and you will be the wiser and better for it
it happens
it sucks
and we've all been there--you're not alone--i think you did the right thing
it's ok and you're ok
this does not effect your ability to make the next customer happy!!!!
K8memphis! Thank you for your words! I felt horrible after the incident. I have another order to deliver next weekend. I had lost my spirit!
I even doubted my abilities and seriously thought about giving up. I love baking cakes and decorating. At the start up I used to offer my friends to give cakes just because i wanted to decorate a cake. Incidents like this can be really depressing and this is a first. So, I needed a lot of time to get use to that. In the past year I've baked cakes, I had never heard a negative comment to any of my cakes.
while it can really hurt especially when/if unfounded
(and besides you responded well and did all you could in a customer service way)
perhaps a way to get a handle on a critique/criticism
so that it doesn't take us down as much (and understandably so)
is that it does make us better in general of course you know this anyhow
going forward you will be super vigilant to make every cake uber symmetrical and
circumspectly continue to make them as nice & moist as always
this will make you more sure of your own product and help build fortitude
to politely stand your ground or gracefully discount going forward
takes a while to take it all in
so look forward to your next order and have a blast with it!!!
He gave you a exact amount he wants back chances are there was nothing wrong with the cake. You gave him one refund and now he is tiring to get more. I'm sure the ate the whole cake just let him know all sale are final upon delivery and leave at that.
I didn't read all the responses but I would not offer a refund. If anything, offer to give him a gift certificate towards a future purchase.
This - to me - is no good. The problem with this is if someone is unhappy with the product they purchased or services they receive, why would they go back? Any time I've had a bad experience I don't return to that person or place of business. I take my money some place else.
Example: Took my DD, who has long hair, to get a haircut at Best Cuts several years ago. She was 5 at the time. Was VERY specific about how much to cut off. Even pointed where on her shoulder I wanted her hair to go to. The girl chopped it way, way to short. Long story short, before I even left I was on the phone with the manager and the corporate office complaining. To this day - my daughter is 8 now - I will NEVER go to Best Cuts for haircuts again.
Had they offered me a coupon or percentage off my next haircut , or even FREE haircuts, I STILL would not go back. Ever. I'm sure some people view it as trying to make things right or better, but for me it would just be adding insult to injury.
Now if the guy is just trying to suck as much out of this as he can or just wants free cake, then he might be willing to accept. But do you really want to work for this guy again?
Without a deposit, it was NOT an order.
And by "deposit" I mean a form of payment that has been confirmed--by bank or by credit card company. Or cold hard cash.
You should know that a cheque can be stopped a day or two later by the person who wrote it. That might mean that you deliver goods but do NOT receive final payment. It also means that your bank will apply a charge that can be as much as $50 against your bank account.
Should this specific customer ever call again just ask the party date and then (pausing to flip some paper on your table) say "sorry I can't help you with that date".
The first rule to remember: Just because they say it, doesn't make it so! I'm surprised you even did the cake since you didn't get any money until 4 days before it was due. He sounds like one of those who's too busy being wonderful to take care of details and no one else can ever measure up, no matter how hard they try - - bless their little hearts!
Since he found fault at delivery and got a refund, I'm sure he figured it worked once - why not try it again? He goes to the top of the NO CAKE list. And I would tell him that since you know there wasn't an issue with the "dryness" of the cake and one refund was already given, there's nothing more you can do but you certainly appreciate that he brought his concerns to your attention.
That's exactly what I was thinking to do. He offered to pay in credit. I said no I need cash. After the delivery he gave me check. I deposited on my way back. Just to make sure. Good thing I read threads on this forum regularly. I at least have an idea what to expect.
another idea for you to tighten it up even more
if you can--cash it at his bank next time
at the bank his check is drawn from
if you cash it or deposit it through your own bank account the transaction can still go south
by the time it completes processing
yes i agree cash is better than check --check is better than credit card
hope it doesn't get stopped!!!!
AJust because the bank credited you doesn't mean they won't reverse the credit if a stop payment is put on the check. Banks can take up to 10 days to verify funds, but they give you access to the funds as a courtesy...
That's why those Nigerian check scams work so often.
A
Original message sent by BrandisBaked
Just because the bank credited you doesn't mean they won't reverse the credit if a stop payment is put on the check. Banks can take up to 10 days to verify funds, but they give you access to the funds as a courtesy...
FYI, deposit holds are typically longer when using a mobile app or ATM to deposit a check as opposed to giving it to a human teller.
ABanks don't have to put a hold on the funds to reverse the credit...
those ach transactions can go downhill and be reversed for quite a period of time
i've had a check reverse like this on me almost a month later (grr)
going directly to the bank the check was drawn on usually cancels/precludes any attempt to get the funds reverted
because they are gone--no way to reverse it
because you went through your own bank account the long arm of (the feds who run the transactions) his bank can still yank the money back through your account but i've never heard of them yanking the cash out of your hand
so you might wanna wait to spend it maybe
he seems a little driven
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