Just Ranting....

Business By fbrumback Updated 27 Jan 2014 , 1:13pm by DeliciousDesserts

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fbrumback Posted 15 Jan 2014 , 1:01am
post #1 of 21

I just need to vent.

 

A woman contacted me about a baby shower cake for 90-100 people for Feb 1.  Ok, that date is doable.  She wants it in a Dallas Cowboys theme.  Okie dokie, also totally doable.  So I come up with an adorable design that she loves on a four tier cake, to include quilting, beading, metallics, stars on wires, and gum paste figures.  She asks how much and I then ask her what her price range was.

 

 

$60.

 

 

 

For 90-100 people.

 

 

 

For the cake, stand, delivery, the price I quoted her was almost 10 times that much.  To which she responded "my wedding cake didn't cost that much".  Welp.  PASS!!!!!

 

 

 

Seriously?!  $60 for 90-100 people?!

20 replies
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BatterUpCake Posted 15 Jan 2014 , 1:08am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by fbrumback 
 

I just need to vent.

 

A woman contacted me about a baby shower cake for 90-100 people for Feb 1.  Ok, that date is doable.  She wants it in a Dallas Cowboys theme.  Okie dokie, also totally doable.  So I come up with an adorable design that she loves on a four tier cake, to include quilting, beading, metallics, stars on wires, and gum paste figures.  She asks how much and I then ask her what her price range was.

 

 

$60.

 

 

 

For 90-100 people.

 

 

 

For the cake, stand, delivery, the price I quoted her was almost 10 times that much.  To which she responded "my wedding cake didn't cost that much".  Welp.  PASS!!!!!

 

 

 

Seriously?!  $60 for 90-100 people?!

happens all of the time. Every time I go into a grocery store I look at their bakery cakes just to get an idea of what people might expect an average cake to cost. I have seen 1/4 sheets with extra decorations go for $38. Just wish her the best of luck. She is not your customer base.

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MBalaska Posted 15 Jan 2014 , 1:16am
post #3 of 21

Quote:

Originally Posted by fbrumback 
 

I just need to vent.

 

A woman contacted me about a baby shower cake for 90-100 people for Feb 1.  Ok, that date is doable.  She wants it in a Dallas Cowboys theme.  Okie dokie, also totally doable.  So I come up with an adorable design that she loves on a four tier cake, to include quilting, beading, metallics, stars on wires, and gum paste figures.  She asks how much and I then ask her what her price range was.

 

 

$60.

 

 

 

For 90-100 people.

 

 

 

For the cake, stand, delivery, the price I quoted her was almost 10 times that much.  To which she responded "my wedding cake didn't cost that much".  Welp.  PASS!!!!!

 

 

 

Seriously?!  $60 for 90-100 people?!

 

LOL!  save the design.  You'll probably get to use it again in that Dallas Cowboy locality, and it would be hilarious if she went to the party that your cake is featured at.

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BatterUpCake Posted 15 Jan 2014 , 1:21am
post #4 of 21

Quote:

Originally Posted by BatterUpCake 
 

happens all of the time. Every time I go into a grocery store I look at their bakery cakes just to get an idea of what people might expect an average cake to cost. I have seen 1/4 sheets with extra decorations go for $38. Just wish her the best of luck. She is not your customer base.

Just to be clear my point was, she couldn't even get that price at her local grocer much less at a custom baker.

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babcaro Posted 15 Jan 2014 , 1:23am
post #5 of 21

ALol some people I had a woman contact me for a cake for 50 people and I ask her what she had in mind (tiered 3d....etc) and before she answers she tells me i usually pay 60.00 I'm ill even in buttercream it's more than 60 lol she was like nevermind I'll go to where I usually go lol

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Smckinney07 Posted 15 Jan 2014 , 1:25am
post #6 of 21

ADitto, BatterUp is right. You don't want her as a customer.

Maybe her wedding cake was smaller, maybe she got married 40yrs ago, why doesn't she go back to the same baker who did her wedding cake.

I am very upfront about pricing and I try to emphasize the fact that I do CUSTOM work but we all get this from time to time.

I think it's a good idea to ask about their price range up front, in fact it's one of the first things I ask. If you would have asked her basic questions/fill out some sort of form via email (however you do initial contacts/consults).

I ask the date, approx guest count, celebration/event...few other basics and their price range. Not everyone will have one but this could have saved you both so much time.

I understand your frustration! It is part of our job to educate potential customers but there's only so much you can do. Also, I have a minimum, I wouldn't turn on my oven for $50.

I can't remember where I read this but it was an article about pricing wedding cakes. Something along the lines of people and their guest counts & where they come up with their budgets, it referred to taking 150 people out to a restaraunt for dessert and paying $6+ for an undecorated, flash frozen piece of cake. I think it was A Cake To Remember, please correct me if I'm wrong.

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as you wish Posted 15 Jan 2014 , 1:34am
post #7 of 21

AUgh, people! Well, some people. Some are lovely! But others... I think this is the best explanation: [IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3167969/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

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costumeczar Posted 15 Jan 2014 , 2:22am
post #8 of 21

Here's how every initial  conversation should go...

-I want a cake for X date

-I'm available for that date, how many people will it need to serve?

-90

-Do you have ideas about the design?

-I want a Cowboys theme

-And what's your budget for the cake?

-$60

-I'm sorry, I can't do it for that. For 90 people it would be a starting price of X

 

 

Basically, ask the budget before you do a design, before you set an appointment, before you talk to them for more than two minutes. It saves you a lot of time that way.

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BatterUpCake Posted 15 Jan 2014 , 2:40am
post #9 of 21

Quote:

Originally Posted by costumeczar 
 

Here's how every initial  conversation should go...

-I want a cake for X date

-I'm available for that date, how many people will it need to serve?

-90

-Do you have ideas about the design?

-I want a Cowboys theme

-And what's your budget for the cake?

-$60

-I'm sorry, I can't do it for that. For 90 people it would be a starting price of X

 

 

Basically, ask the budget before you do a design, before you set an appointment, before you talk to them for more than two minutes. It saves you a lot of time that way.

Perfect

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Norasmom Posted 15 Jan 2014 , 3:04am
post #10 of 21

LOL when was she married????  My wedding cake was beautiful, we didn't pay nearly what it would cost now, 8 years later!

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cakeyouverymuch Posted 15 Jan 2014 , 7:42pm
post #11 of 21

Quote:

Originally Posted by costumeczar 
 

Here's how every initial  conversation should go...

-I want a cake for X date

-I'm available for that date, how many people will it need to serve?

-90

-Do you have ideas about the design?

-I want a Cowboys theme

-And what's your budget for the cake?

-$60

-I'm sorry, I can't do it for that. For 90 people it would be a starting price of X

 

 

Basically, ask the budget before you do a design, before you set an appointment, before you talk to them for more than two minutes. It saves you a lot of time that way.

 

 

THIS

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kyliecake Posted 22 Jan 2014 , 1:11pm
post #12 of 21

I had an acquaintance contact me with a link to a picture of a pirate ship (complete with detailed instructions and pictures of how the original baker made it-it took the woman 6 hours to make not including the mast) and asked me to quote it.I quoted $100.  she emailed back and said actually that was a bit over her price range.  i asked what was her price range and she said $40!!!!!!  the cake was to feed 30 people!!!!!!

i told her i could do a much simpler version for $50 which she accepted.  

some people hey!!!

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costumeczar Posted 22 Jan 2014 , 1:15pm
post #13 of 21

A

Original message sent by kyliecake

I had an acquaintance contact me with a link to a picture of a pirate ship (complete with detailed instructions and pictures of how the original baker made it-it took the woman 6 hours to make not including the mast) and asked me to quote it.I quoted $100.  she emailed back and said actually that was a bit over her price range.  i asked what was her price range and she said $40!!!!!!  the cake was to feed 30 people!!!!!! i told her i could do a much simpler version for $50 which she accepted.   some people hey!!!

That's still a very low price, so make sure you don't put more than a couple of hours max into it! You won't be making much after expenses if you do. And don't be surprised if the customer isn't happy with it, because no matter what you told her she'll still have the picture of the original in her mind and expect that!

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kyliecake Posted 23 Jan 2014 , 7:44am
post #14 of 21

yeah you're right costumeczar.  i would have loved to do the more intricate one but certainly won't be doing it for $40!  the new design is much simpler.  thanks for your thoughts.

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costumeczar Posted 25 Jan 2014 , 12:57pm
post #15 of 21

AOh, miss Helen, you certainly do get around.

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AZCouture Posted 25 Jan 2014 , 4:16pm
post #16 of 21

A

Original message sent by costumeczar

Oh, miss Helen, you certainly do get around.

Oh she sure does..too funny. I sang her a song in another thread.

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JWinslow Posted 25 Jan 2014 , 4:50pm
post #17 of 21

Her line is worse than any bar pick up line.  Hotmail, baby, Hotmail

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AZCouture Posted 25 Jan 2014 , 5:14pm
post #18 of 21

A

Original message sent by JWinslow

Her line is worse than any bar pick up line.  Hotmail, baby, Hotmail

Sounds like it would be some hot mail indeed.

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BeesKnees578 Posted 27 Jan 2014 , 4:15am
post #19 of 21

Quote:

Originally Posted by costumeczar 
 

Here's how every initial  conversation should go...

-I want a cake for X date

-I'm available for that date, how many people will it need to serve?

-90

-Do you have ideas about the design?

-I want a Cowboys theme

-And what's your budget for the cake?

-$60

-I'm sorry, I can't do it for that. For 90 people it would be a starting price of X

 

 

Basically, ask the budget before you do a design, before you set an appointment, before you talk to them for more than two minutes. It saves you a lot of time that way.


I like this idea, but I think I am afraid to put people off by asking their budget...

 

Something like "My cakes start at $3-4/serving for basic flavors/fillings/design.  Does that suit your budget, considering the design you have in mind will also affect the final price?"

 

Does that sound snarky?

 

I guess that asking is better than wasting both of our time, though....I guess I will try it.  I write up so many quotes and different variations of the quote to try to be nice and offer options.

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costumeczar Posted 27 Jan 2014 , 12:55pm
post #20 of 21

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeesKnees578 
 


I like this idea, but I think I am afraid to put people off by asking their budget...

 

Something like "My cakes start at $3-4/serving for basic flavors/fillings/design.  Does that suit your budget, considering the design you have in mind will also affect the final price?"

 

Does that sound snarky?

 

I guess that asking is better than wasting both of our time, though....I guess I will try it.  I write up so many quotes and different variations of the quote to try to be nice and offer options.

It doesn't sound bad, but people won't do the math in their heads. Telling them a price per serving isn't the same as telling them how much their cake will be. I'd ask them how many people it needs to serve, then say "For that number of servings you're looking at a starting price of XXX, and it could go up from there depending on the final design. You're probably looking at somewhere between xxx and xxx. Is that within your budget?"

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DeliciousDesserts Posted 27 Jan 2014 , 1:13pm
post #21 of 21

Quote:

Originally Posted by costumeczar 
 

It doesn't sound bad, but people won't do the math in their heads. Telling them a price per serving isn't the same as telling them how much their cake will be. I'd ask them how many people it needs to serve, then say "For that number of servings you're looking at a starting price of XXX, and it could go up from there depending on the final design. You're probably looking at somewhere between xxx and xxx. Is that within your budget?"

 

They really don't.  The few that do then expect the cake to be exactly that price per serving.  They don't consider tax & delivery and they don't realize the cake may serve more than the exact number of the guests.

 

I usually offer a range.  

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