Wedding cupcake mishap AIBU bride wants full refund for me wrecking her big day?

[ilovepombears]

I run a home based cake making business a few months ago I had a request from a bride to make 100 black cupcakes for her wedding. She provided the wrappers and black food colouring paste and also black and white photo toppers of the couple as she asked it this would bring the costs down so I deducted this from the bill.

Today is her wedding day and there seems to be a massive miscommunication somewhere along the lines.
Friday I baked all 100 cupcakes and whilst I was waiting for them to cool I text her and asked if she was sure she wanted them all black buttercream or if she would prefer black and white or black and grey. She texted back and said 50 black 50 grey would be ace. I then had another text asking where the buttercream was going. This should of really set off alarm bells. I told her the buttercream would be going on top of each cupcake. No further response.

As the wedding is out of town she came to collect them yesterday. They looked stunning and really complimented her wedding theme. She seemed a bit off when collecting but said she liked them.

Two hours later I receive a text from her saying how dissapointed she is with the cakes and how they are not as disscused as the cakes are white.

I didn't understand where she was coming from so I tried to call but she didn't answer then text to say I have wrecked her wedding.

After a while of toing and froing it transpires what the bride in her head has ordered is 50 black and 50 grey sponge cupcakes as in no buttercream frosting. Where I was suppose to put the picture toppers is still a mystery.

She has seen hundreds of images of my work and I have never produced a nude cupcake. Always have frosting on them.

She has not given me time to rectify the issue. Not that I would as I am not having my name associated with what she thinks she has ordered. Not would I let black sponges out to be eaten as they will taste horrendous but they have so much colour in them can you imagine the additives.

She is now asking for a full refund as I have "screwed up her order" what do I do? I'm my head she has received what she has ordered.

If you guys ordered a black & grey cupcake how would you interoperate that? What she thinks or what I have made her.

When reading your OP I automatically assumed she had ordered black sponge with black icing and the toppers on top.

I think you need to ensure that when you take an order you clearly note exactly what the buyer wants.
The previously suggested,
Sponge - colour/flavour
Icing - colour/flavour
Decorations - style/type/colour
Case - style/type/colour
On a standard order form would stop an future miscommunication.

I think the bride should get a refund. When I read your post I automatically assumed that the cakes would be black.

OP, unfortunately this is your fault. You didn't invest enough time in finding out exactly what your customer wanted and it is your customer service which is at fault here. I think the fact that you didn't bake her one test cake to agree the design is a glaring fault for a start. Or at least give her a sketch of what you expected the cake to look like.

I think the only answer is to give her a refund and review your procedures so it doesn't happen again. View it as a learning experience and an investment which will help you understand exactly what your customers want in the future.

I know people are telling you to stick her and that she's trying it on. But I think these are probably people who understand very little about business and how to treat customers. You've really disappointed this customer and going forward if you don't refund her she is going to tell everyone she knows that you didn't find out what she wanted properly, then refused to make good on your error. It would be far better for you if you had an ex customer who would be telling people that there was an error but you were profusely apologetic and made good on the error. I think your reputation would benefit very much from making a full apology and refund.

I think that otherwise you run the risk of making yourself look like an amateurish operation. The professional thing to do is apologise and refund.

And Weareeternal gives a brilliant suggestion above.

I also assumed she meant black sponge with a dab of icing and the picture on top. Her idea sounds awful, the way you did it sounds far, far superior so actually, she got a better deal out of it. But it's her day, not how she expected it and in her head isn't what she asked for. It's miscommunication, pure and simple.

Black sponge does taste and look vile... Anyway, if she remains unhappy (which I doubt because I have a feeling she'll get compliments for them on the actual day ) then offer a partial refund. Word of mouth is everything with small businesses.

Your heading implies she said you have ruined her wedding day, but your op only says she wants a refund as you 'screwed up her order'.
Which did she actually say?

Tbh, I think you have screwed up the order.

I read this as black cakes, black sponge. I also thought that this would be awful and think that your gaffe may have actually made it better.

I wouldn't eat black sponge cake.

Refund her after she's returned them all and not before.

No cakes then no refund. Don't let people take the piss .

I don't understand those who are advocating that the OP ask for the cakes to be returned - how on earth does that improve the situation? The OP will have loads of cakes that she doesn't want and can't re-sell, and no money at all for them. Surely a partial refund makes more sense to both parties involved?

I'd have expected black cake...no idea about how it would taste, but in a redvelvet cake it's cocoa/buttermilk or vinegar and the red food colouring that give the colour so for a black cake I'd have gone chocolate plus black paste....or at least given that a trial

as far as the toppers go, I guess she was expecting a flat iced cake with those on top

not everyone likes frothy giant buttercream swirly cakes

Dojo I'm assuming people are saying about the returns because it could be the bride is at it. Saying that's not what she wanted gets a refund and a free cake.

If I ordered black cakes, I'd expect black cakes. Not being a professional baker, I wouldn't know that's difficult. I'd expect the professional to steer me in the right direction and to record exactly what the order was

I also wouldn't expect a professional to criticise me on a public forum, when she / I would be so easily identified

And how the hell can I bride return half of her wedding buffet ?????

aermingers I disagree regarding customer service. Bending over backwards will not necessarily lead to favourable customer feedback. Whilst it's fair and reasonable to put right mistakes, capitulating to every complaining customer can potentially put a small business out of business.

The rights and wrongs of this issue revolve around the contract - verbal or written - agreed between the two parties, and whether there was room for ambiguity. If so, then the OP is at fault. However, if the customer uses the cakes then she can't also claim a refund, and any gesture the OP makes is at her discretion.

Look the bride obviously went to a lot of trouble over these things...got the special paste, toppers etc- she obviously had a very clear idea in her mind of what she wanted the finished product to look like and I think, upon reading that OP, that it was very obvious that there was going to be a problem...

The second the bride asked where the buttercream was going I'd have been on the phone as at that point it was clear that your idea of what you were doing and hers were completely different. I don't understand why that didn't ring massive alarm bells and you didn't sort it out??

Every cupcake I've seen with a photo cake topper on has the photo sitting pretty flat on the top of the cake, maybe a tiny bit of buttercream to glue it on, but no whirly buttercream, if that makes sense...

I think saying you have never done a naked cupcakes makes it sound like the bride had a odd misapprehension whereas in reality, photo cupcakes often have the image as a topper instead of buttercream, or certainly in South London at the moment that seems to be the fashion

Ditto the black sponge- this is clearly a (hideous) fashion at the moment....
I did a birthday party for my nephew (4) recently that had a jungle theme...including green palm tree ice cubes I'd seen on Pinterest, of course the moment the icecubes hit the water they dissolved and made the water look dirty and were generally rubbish, which didn't occur to me only having seen a picture that must have been taken the second the ice hit the water.... If a black cake wasn't going to be tasty, it is something I would expect a cake baker to be able to tell me in advance.

OK 'you've ruined my wedding' a bit OTT, but the bride isn't trying it on, she's upset- she thought she'd ordered a black, flat cakes with photos on top, like an image she'd seen somewhere and she got your usual vanilla cupcake with some black icing on as well as the photo and she was probably too upset to say something- you said she seemed off when collecting them- I'd imagine people are usually delighted to see their order, so again I'm confused about why you didn't do anything at that point....

I think a sample is the way to go in future, but I really think a full refund is the way to go here- it is a big deal to her, you are the professional and you haven't understood what she wanted and missed a couple of big clues along the way.

Indeed just

I'm also a bit confused by all the posters saying they wouldn't eat black cakes, don't order them then, easy.
Just because you wouldn't eat them, doesn't mean they're wrong or inferior.

It also wouldn't occur to me that a coloured sponge would taste any different to a plain one.

I must admit, when I read your post I thought black cakes too.
So, a lesson learned and in future you'll make sure that both parties have agreed to the final product in advance of you starting work.
I think you should contact your business insurance company for advice tomorrow before responding. Surely you need to consider admitting liability if you offer a partial refund that might be rejected?
Last thought - 100 cup cakes presumably for 100 people who are at a wedding today where the wedding cake is some very unusual cup cakes. It might even be that the bride has been moaning about not getting what she ordered.
I'd get this thread deleted.

I'm surprised at all the people replying to this who thought the actual cake would be black and the cupcakes uniced. I know you get coloured cake these days but usually still iced. A plain uniced cupcake sounds a bit odd. I am not sure about a refund though.

Having just googled black cupcakes, I think you need to at least partially refund this lady. It appears they are 'a thing'.

There has been a huge miscommunication, but you're meant to be the professional and as such you should be checking out and confirming the fine detail with your customer. I can't believe you got away with not providing a test batch of 12 or something. Might be worth building that into your price in future.

And fwiw I think the black cupcakes I've seen on the Internet look great.

Offer some kind of compensation, or risk your business being bad mouthed.

I have to agree with the people who say if ordering a black cupcake I would be expecting a black sponge (however, unappetising that may be). And had a wanted a plain sponge with black frosting, then I would have asked for a cupcake with black frosting. Or of both were to be black I would have ordered a black cupcake with black frosting. I also think it was up to you as the professional to make it clear...but as an amateur that would have been my thoughts.

Hope it is sorted to the satisfaction of you both.

Black cupcakes - flat with toppers and also with swirly buttercream...
www.google.co.uk/search?q=black+cupcakes&client=firefox-a&hs=8wz&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=1WyEVKXaMMSuU47Xg-AP&ved=0CCsQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=657

Yeah, you did screw up her order. It's your job to make sure you are 100% sure what someone wants.

However, we live and learn. I think she needs a refund.

If you're having a b&w photo as a topper, it makes sense for the cake itself to be black/grey imo.

I'm assuming people are saying about the returns because it could be the bride is at it. Saying that's not what she wanted gets a refund and a free cake.

Yeah, I get that, but if the bride takes her at her word and returns them for a refund, then she will be in a much worse position than if she agreed some kind of compromise. Offering a refund for a return could backfire spectacularly and seems like cutting her nose off to spite her face, whereas the sensible thing to do would be to work through the situation so that at least the cupcakes are used for the wedding and the OP doesn't end up with them all over her kitchen as well as losing the money.

If she asked for black cakes...not white cakes with black icing, then she really didn't get what she ordered. Yes, she might not have been clear, but that's part of your job - to ask questions to make sure you are both on the exact same page.
I think you'll just have to refund her and learn a hard lesson.