Every time a client emails me they always send me pictures that they find online and ask me to quote them a price for that cake. The problem is....when I do quote them a price for that exact cake they email me back saying that's a little more than what they are looking to spend right now.
I could go on all night with stories about clients who want the world but cannot afford it. For instance I had a client email me about a price for this 3-D handbag cake and gumpaste shoe......
Let's just say that this cake took 12 hours to make and not to mention the shoe which took another day to create (almost two days considering the drying time it needs before adding embellishments). So when I quoted her the price she was too outdone. Then a few days later asked if I could just make her the shoe. Well then I began to question why just the shoe? It is edible but once dried you couldn't eat it anyway. Well her next idea was to get me to make the shoe so she could put it on someone else's cake!!!!!! HELL NO!!!! My thought is that she is going to tell people I made the cake (when in fact I only made the shoe). I don't know who is making the cake part and what if the cake isn't good, taste wise and the look of it. My name and reputation that I worked so hard to build would be trashed based off one cake. Needless to say when I asked her what her budget was....she told me..........(wait for it)........ $50. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!! YOU WANT A three to four hundred dollar cake for $50?????!!!!!!!!!!
ABSOLUTELY NOT! I don't know anyone who does that.
Anyway clients need to be educated about how much time and money it takes to create these works of art. I do work with clients when they have a certain budget in mind but they need to be realistic as well. You should know ahead of time how much you can afford and how much you are willing to spend before you contact your baker. Often times you see these dream cakes, thanks to reality shows like....Ace of Cakes, Cake Boss but when you see the show they are not revealing the price. One show I use to watch early on in my cake career was Amazing Wedding Cakes and what I loved about it was that just like all the other reality shows they take you through the cake construction process but before they start, they show you a sketch of the design then tell you what the cost is for that cake.
Bakers like myself will work with you to create you a beautiful cake, and although you may not get EXACTLY what you "dreamed" of getting in the beginning.....you will still get a cake that taste as good as it looks so therefore you won't have to sacafrice quality for affordability.
I found this online from a baker who put this on her website.....great idea.
Comments
Post a Comment