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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask for help on how to reply to this customer?

522 replies

Squidpinky · 24/02/2017 18:52

I need your help on how to reply to this customer.

I make cakes for living, home based but all on the books. Never had a complaint apart from today....

Quoted a lady for a 21st birthday cake for her daughter. Quite an elaborate design but she was very vague in what she wanted - I.e didn't specify colour etc just sort of said what she wanted and said "make it look pretty"

Her daughter's party is tomorrow, the cake is finished and she asked me to send a picture. I did and she was horrified - said it's not what she wanted, I was going to ruin her daughters birthday, the colour was wrong (even though she hadn't specified a colour. I offered to change details on it, obviously couldn't change the colour. She wanted extras adding to it which would have taken 6 hours atleast to make - that would have meant I made zero profit.

I made some changes to the cake which took me 3 hours and I sent her a pic and she was grateful saying it was much better and Thankyou.

I then get a message saying she wants it delivered now as I caused her so much stress and upset. The venue is an hours drive from my house. The original agreement was she was to pick up the cake. I explained this wasn't possible for me to deliver and she said that she has no free time tomorrow and can't collect it.

How do I respond to this? She's the type that will leave a bad review everywhere and anywhere so I have to tread carefully! Help!!!

OP posts:
SleepFreeZone · 24/02/2017 19:10

I would just let her forget the whole thing. Call me a drama queen but I'd rather lose the money than have her appear at the doorstep and take it with a mealy mouth attitude and with no doubt a huge discount after she'd whinged and moaned. She is going to slag you off to all and sundry anyway, that's how these people roll. Just apologise that she is so unhappy, reitterate that you are unable to deliver and suggest she goes and gets a high street cake instead.

Maverickismywingman · 24/02/2017 19:11

It's a shame you didn't get a deposit from her.

If you really can't genuinely deliver it just reiterate that it is not your policy to deliver. Collection must be sorted by the buyer.
If you can (and maybe to save yourself the trouble) make it clear that you wouldn't normally and delivery is XXX as well as paying for the cake.

AndShesGone · 24/02/2017 19:14

As long as I had an email/text saying she was picking it up, and different emails saying 'leave it to you for the design' I'd tell her she'd arranged to pick it up and that you would be taking her to the small claims court if she didn't pay.

And I would. You need terms and conditions to cover this shit. This woman is NEVER going to speak well of you because she's an ARSEHOLE. She's done nothing but dick you around and try and walk all over you.

You just have her 3 hours of your time for FREE.

Big girl pants, ovaries of steel. Polite message "please pick up as arrange. Cash on pick up only".

STOP people pleasing.

welshmist · 24/02/2017 19:14

Ah you have learnt a hard lesson here, there are women like this conning decent folk left right and centre. I heard of one Mum who received boarding school fees from her ex. paid direct to her she never paid them the poor child was bounced from one boarding school to another when the schools lost patience.

Saz41 · 24/02/2017 19:15

Just say that as she is so unhappy, you don't want to sell her the cake. Don't deliver it, and get a deposit next time.!!

UntilTheCowsComeHome · 24/02/2017 19:17

Id tell her she needs to collect and pay in full on collection. If she plays up in any way, keep the cake and advertise all over Facebook that due to a pain in the arse customer error, you have a cake for anyone who wants it free for a kids party. Or donate it to the local hospice. The publicity from that will outweigh any bad reviews she tries to put out.

LyndaLaHughes · 24/02/2017 19:19

It sounds like she's making excuses and is looking to not pay for the cake. I would play clever here and say you are willing to arrange delivery but she will need to cover petrol costs and say you will need payment in advance this evening in order to do this. Explain that this is because due to the time spent in the changes any additional cost will have you making the cake as a loss. Explain you made all the changes as a gesture of good will but that it took three hours and you have had to turn down another order as a result. I think that is the only way you will get a penny out of her if she has any intention of paying. I suspect she has none. She's a chancer who is trying to get it cheap if at all. You may well have to write this one off.

WhispersOnTheWind · 24/02/2017 19:19

I can't believe you didn't submit some sketches for her written approval before ever starting work on the cake, yes, she was vague but you should have insisted on some guidance or at least a written waiver giving you a free hand.
Do you have it at least in writing that she was to arrange collection of the cake? You have really left yourself wide open to piss-taking by this chancer if not and I think you need to suck up the delivery on this occasion just to make sure you get paid and to avoid a neg review. In future you need to protect yourself much better get all specs in writing, contract outlining payment and delivery and get approval for design ideas re colours, decorations etc at each stage of making the cake.

rjay123 · 24/02/2017 19:20

Ask her how much she will pay extra for delivery. Put the ball in her court. Be direct with her. She won't be expecting that, if you've bent over backwards to accommodate her!

RebootYourEngine · 24/02/2017 19:21

She sounds like a dodgy one. If something was so important to me and i was unsure what i wanted i would have sat with you and did some sketches rather than just diving straight into the baking.

What was the agreement for delivery, was she meant to pick up today or tomorrow?

Crunchymum · 24/02/2017 19:23

You've already lost £100 on the cake? How much is it???? (Sorry that is more my nosiness than anything else!!)

Whocansay · 24/02/2017 19:23

I agree with the above. Even if you bend over backwards, she will still leave a bad review. She doesn't value your work. I doubt you'll get paid either. Cut your losses.

NewPuppyMum · 24/02/2017 19:29

Definitely don't deliver.

Offer for sale or donate to a children's home etc.

dailystuck71 · 24/02/2017 19:30

No matter what you do it won't be good enough.

Tell her you can't deliver. She can come to you for the agreed amount or no cake. Don't accept a penny less. Yes, you will be out of pocket but if necessary hand it into a local nursing home or hospital or something similar. You've then done a good deed for the day.

Going forward take deposits.

Monkeypuzzle32 · 24/02/2017 19:30

I have a business sort of along the same lines-there are always people like this-learn from it whilst it's fresh in your mind and write up some terms & conditions and always always take a deposit to cover the materials before you start making it. It might be an idea to make the customer sign off/agree a quick design sketch too in future-for now I'd do what untilthecows says, I have learnt that if they moan early on or try and get a discount or go on about how little budget they have, they will never be happy and will moan all the way through the process! As a very wise person told me 'they re not your customer'

ALittleMop · 24/02/2017 19:30

Do not deliver it
She can collect for cash
If she does not and does not pay threaten small claims court
HOWEVER you were daft to go ahead without proper specification

Whocansay · 24/02/2017 19:32

I realised I didn't actually answer the question. I would respond "I have explained that I am unable to deliver. If you are not able to pick up by X tomorrow, I will sell on. Kind regards".

And leave it. And if she does pick I up, take cash only before you hand it over.

I'm not quite sure hoe you have caused her 'stress and upset' when she gave you no instructions. I suspect this was always her plan to get a free cake.

WinnieFosterTether · 24/02/2017 19:33

Assuming you have anything in writing then refer back to those agreements. Don't deliver it. She's hoping you'll be keener to drop the price if you've spent an hour travelling.
From a customer service pov, either offer her a discount because you're both responsible for the vague brief (but no delivery). Or say she's obviously unhappy so you'll let her cancel the order.
Depending on the price of the cake and the size of your customer base, post some pics of the cake on your website/social media and try to sell it a discounted price due to a customer's needs changing. Or raffle it for charity - try to turn it into a positive PR story.

RandomMess · 24/02/2017 19:34

"I am not able to deliver the cake, please let me know what time someone will be collecting it so I can be home. I will only charge you the £ as agreed despite the last minute changes that would usually cost a further £xx"

marvelmummy13 · 24/02/2017 19:34

If she was going to pick it up in the first place I don't understand how she can't find the time now ..so odd, did something randomly come up. Clearly a scammer looking for a discount . Don't do it you've already lost £100 and she's clearly going to give you a bad review anyway. Explain this to her, because she was vague and didn't like your design you've lost money and now she wants you to lose money in petrol and time sending it to her. She caused her own stress by not knowing what she wanted . If you have the messages from her that would be even better so you can quote her on how vague she was. I would be interested to see what colour she was expecting with a response of 'I'm no good at these things' .

At least you know in future decline to do cakes before getting colours

I had my daughters birthday cake ordered 2 months before her party, rechecked a month before, organised designs colours and numbers to feed, time of collection etc a month before and then confirmed all of the above a week before. She should've really asked what you were thinking of doing if she was that concerned

welshmist · 24/02/2017 19:39

I have seen some horror stories on fb, by folk conning small cottage type businesses, I always smell a rat when I see them.

seven201 · 24/02/2017 19:39

I'm suspicious. I think she'll say if you can't drop it off she doesn't want it any more as she can't get it bla bla bla. Did you get her to sign a quote that listed the exact vagueness of her request?

magoria · 24/02/2017 19:39

I know nothing about proper cake making.

Can you strip the decoration and re-use the cake itself to make a new one or is that a no-no?

That way you at least can get something back.

FriendlyPolecat · 24/02/2017 19:42

She never had any intention of paying for this, or at least nowhere near the full cost, that's probably why she never gave specifications because she didn't care/it didn't matter. She'll have been determined to find fault with the cake whatever it looked like just to try it on. I'll be amazed if she travels to collect it if she knows she will have to pay up

ChickenVindaloo2 · 24/02/2017 19:42

We seem to have so many threads on here about cake-making, it's really bizarre!

Swipe left for the next trending thread