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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:
Coconutty · 24/02/2017 19:42

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ.

Dragonfly3 · 24/02/2017 19:46

This sounds like she wants you to drop off the cake so she doesn't have to pay for it tbh. If the original agreement was for her to collect it, then stick to your guns. Tel her you are unable to drive and she will have to collect it pr go without. And, if I can give some advice form one small business to another, take a deposit payment to at least cover your material cost for all future orders. The at least if you get a crappy non-paying chancer of a customer then you at least have covered a bit of your costs.

omnishamblesssssssssssssss · 24/02/2017 19:46

How much is she paying you? You've already spent 9 hours and £100 making the cake. An additional 2 hours driving would be £10 in petrol plus £25 for your time spent driving. You could just write it off as a learning experience and deliver or calmly and politely stand firm.

Next time send some photos of potential cake designs. Don't agree to make a cake when there's no design.

Ordinarily · 24/02/2017 19:47

I like the idea of telling her if she can't get it herself she'll need to order a taxi/courier/motorbike. Don't order or pay for the taxi yourself though as you probably wouldn't see the money again.

newnamenewnamenewname · 24/02/2017 19:48

Can you actually deliver? Or is it impossible for you to do it? Apart from the concern about bad reviews, will you be more out of pocket if she doesn't pick it up and pay for it, than the cost of delivering it yourself or getting some to deliver it would be?

From a business point of view, I would look at it in terms of if you have spent £50 on materials, even if she only pays you £50 for the cake, unless the cost to you of getting it delivered is more than £50, you are still better off paying to deliver it than if she doesn't pay anything at all. If she doesn't pay at all, you lose £50, if you deliver and she pays for the cake, you only lose the cost of delivery. Alternatively, if she picks up and you give her a goodwill discount, you only lose the value of the discount. Obviously that doesn't take into account the loss of money for your time but you lose that in all the scenarios... You also have the unquantifiable loss of business from a bad review to factor in. You never know, she might actually recommend you to other people if she is pleased with whatever you offer to appease her. So I would decide based on what you think she would be most grateful for - you arranging delivery or a discount to the value of the cost of delivery.

Totally not fair on you but the best you can make of a bad situation...

Or just enjoy the cake yourself.

DJBaggySmalls · 24/02/2017 19:49

Threaten to taker her to the small claims court for non payment, she's trying it on.
Whatever you do dont deliver and dont back down on the price.

flagnogbagnog · 24/02/2017 19:49

I really sympathise with you! I make cakes too (only for friends). I wouldn't be delivering an hour away no chance! If the cake is so important to her daughter having an amazing birthday, she will come and collect it. I would have thought that any reviews she posts you would be able to respond to? You could include evidence of her saying she'd collect etc. I think people are quite good at looking at a bad review and working out who is really the unreasonable one.

Chocolatebuttons12 · 24/02/2017 19:50

Haha coconutty that would be funny...

OP I agree stand firm and tell her you can't deliver. What a chancer.

pippitysqueakity · 24/02/2017 19:51

God, please OP don't be not responding because you are delivering cake...

TheFirstMrsDV · 24/02/2017 19:54

She probably has another cake.
She is making it difficult for you so she doesn't have to pay for it.

Don't worry about ONE bad review. Its just one. You can't be held to ransom for the rest of your business life because of chancers like her.

Don't deliver.
Then send her a bill for the fucking cake.

marvelmummy13 · 24/02/2017 19:55

pippitysqueakity oh gosh I hope not

TrickyKid · 24/02/2017 20:00

I don't think there's much you can do. I run my own simlar business and wouldn't dream of producing an item without taking a deposit and submitting a design if the customer didn't have an image of what they wanted.
Good luck, hope she picks it up tomorrow and you get paid.

FabulouslyGlamourousFerret · 24/02/2017 20:03

Turn it into an advertising ploy before she has chance to neg you!

Place a big picture of your beautiful cake in your fb page stating your customer no longer wants it, ask for likes and shares with a comment of a local charity/worthy cause (children's ward/fire station/hospice/nursing home) ... you'll get lots of 'wow that's lovely hun' but we'll let that slip!!

Donate it once you reach 1,000 likes, bask in the rosey glow and woe betide twattymindchangingbitch if she dares say anything unkind about you Grin... all your new 'huns' will lynch her 👍🏻

Sara107 · 24/02/2017 20:05

I've never ordered a celebration cake but would expect to pay a deposit up front. So maybe you could start doing that to minimise your losses in future. I wouldn't deliver it, if she wants it she needs to collect it if that was what was agreed. Agree with other pp that she'll likely leave bad reviews anyway. Have you kept any emails or text conversations with her about the cake that you can use to support yourself and show that the brief was vague, that you asked for clarification and didn't get it. Maybe that's an idea for the future as well, that you summarise the brief in an email and get the customer to confirm by replying to the email. You then have proof of what has been agreed.

Broccolirevolution · 24/02/2017 20:06

Fabulously has the best idea - brilliant! Do it!

childmaintenanceserviceinquiry · 24/02/2017 20:06

Sorry, I dont think you sound very professional. No cake maker I know, who runs a business rather than as a hobby, makes cakes without accepting deposits. And for a cake costing at least over £100...

You accepted the brief without specifics - how could the cake possibly be OK? Without even a colour scheme?

There have been several threads on here of a similar nature. I would search and see if you can find the tips on those about avoiding issues in the future.

Greenfingeredfun · 24/02/2017 20:07

Get her to meet you half way, literally. 30 mins each travel time. You should have asked her to be more specific

WhereYouLeftIt · 24/02/2017 20:07

No matter what you do for this woman, SHE HAS NO INTENTION OF PAYING. I would not add petrol costs and another two hours of my time to the loss you are going to make here. She is not going to pay.

Write it off financially, but learn from the experience. Agree design in writing, and don't make it until client agrees design. And take a deposit.

thebakerwithboobs · 24/02/2017 20:09

Fabulous that is a great idea! As for bad reviews, is simply post the text messages in the comments and a picture of the cake!Mmmm cake! Where are you OP? I'll buy it!

WhereYouLeftIt · 24/02/2017 20:09

Excellent idea from FabulouslyGlamourousFerret .

honeyroar · 24/02/2017 20:10

Respond that you can't deliver as you have other clients collecting cakes from you and other cakes to finish. Tell her that if not collected by 1pm the cake will be donated to charity.

RocketQueenP · 24/02/2017 20:10

I would deliver it

And throw it straight in her fucking stupid face when she answered 😂

(I realise that isn't an option for you. However it would be for me)

blankmind · 24/02/2017 20:13

So sorry you're having to deal with this.

In future, would it benefit you to have a customer-signed copy of exactly what the customer says they want, including "I don't know, I'm crap with things like this" "use your artistic skills"

At least that way they can't say it's not what they wanted.

Desperina · 24/02/2017 20:15

Has she paid? You are not going to get paid.... she would have complained no matter what. Do not deliver!

OCSockOrphanage · 24/02/2017 20:15

Have only scanned the thread but tend to agree the customer plans to zip you. You may have to eat this one. Your family will not complain.

For future commissions, maybe above a certain value, is it worth insisting on a deposit to cover the full ingredient cost? X portions times Y quality for example, so only your time is wasted and the ingredients are paid for upfront.

Keep pics of your work to give customers an idea what they are buying, and design templates, get colour theme pre-agreed? Apologies if this is the nth post with the same thought. Commissions of private work are always difficult. Ask basic questions like, does the person for whose celebration the cake is being made have a favourite colour? Is there a visual theme? are useful. Insisting that this happens before you start work is vital if your business is going to succeed. Your client sounds dreadfully difficult BTW. Google design briefs; what you are doing is an identity for an event; the cake is iconic.