Unresponsive Client

Are you sure you have her correct contact data? Maybe she never got your mesages.
But I would contact her one more time and tell her this is the last day to start with the cake and if she is not OK with price then too bad, we can’t work for free.
I allways check with my clients before I spend any money on ingredients.

I sent her another message to let her know that I need to know by today if she wants the cake. I know its her number because I made sure I saved it and I still had some correspondence with her through text messages. I also sent her an email to let her know so hopefully I hear back from her soon!
Thank so much for the help!

I wouldn’t chase any more, and if she comes back now tell her that because she didn’t reply to any of your messages you have taken on another order. I think realistically if she wanted it she would have come back before now. Often people change their minds when money is mentioned and decide to opt for a supermarket cake instead. Even though you gave her a good deal price, she may have changed her mind about buying a bespoke cake. xx

I wouldn’t attempt to contact her again. If you know for a fact you have her correct contact info, her actions (or inactions) are completely disrespectful. This has happened to me more times than I can count so I’m used to it. If she contacts you last minute, tell her it’s too late. You’ve already sold yourself short on this cake and your time is worth more than that. She can go to the supermarket and that’s probably exactly what she plans to do, she just doesn’t have the decency to tell you. You’ve done all you can do and it’s out of your hands. This is precisely why I now require deposits to get on my schedule. That way you know they’re serious and you don’t waste any of your precious time even thinking about the project. I’ve found that even if you think you know someone, you don’t really know them until the topic of money becomes involved! That’s just my two cents. :)

let her go. I just had to send a cancellation email to a client who did not pay or contact me by her payment due date. she will have no cake from me!

Thank you all so much for your replies! I think I will definitely start drawing up a contract and ask for a deposit before hand. This way when it comes down to it if they decide they don’t want to contact me back or cancel at the last minute then at least im not out all the time and money for supplies. Luckily she contacted me back the night I posted this and apologized saying she had just been busy with work and her kids and that she still wanted the cake. I told her that I would have to alter the design slightly so that I could ensure it was done by her party and she agreed to it so I agreed to do the cake but let her know that I would need to know further in advance next time. So hopefully I wont hit anymore hiccups with this order! Thank you all so much for the help! I have finally come up with a plan to prevent this from happening in the future. Im also going to come up with a better way to price my cakes- because Im barely doing it at cost now and I believe that I am undercutting myself pretty badly!

Thank You All!

Oh I had a client like that last week! Makes me email pictures of cakes at eleven at night, at six the following morning : oh that email is not working send it to this one, silly me I did!! I ask. 50% dep so when that did not come through by 12 noon I sms’d and asked her to please confirm the cakes (which was due the Saturday) for her triplet grandchildren.. To this dayalmost a week later absolutely NO reply by sms or email.. I was really teed off by this one, felt like sending her an email or sms that said: a simple thankyou for your trouble would have sufficed Teresa!! I decided now no more after five phone calls will be answered and also no more "urgent’ short notice cakes of mommies and grannies wanting cakes two days before the party because they ‘forgot all about a cake’ !!! They seem to think that theirs are the only cakes to be done when they phone and have absolutely NO idea how much work goes into it!! (I bet you can tell I still am upset about this one!! Lol!

When I take an order no mater how large or small I always take a deposit I give them 1 week to pay the deposit after that the date they want is back on the market, I say date because my main business is wedding cakes and I only make one a week as I still work full time nights but I am up front with my customers and tell them this is what I will do if they are serous they will pay the deposit if not they go elsewhere my tip to you is value yourself because if you don’t others won’t your running a business not a charity !
And don’t make or take orders without a deposit or deadline for the deposit and stick to it

I take orders weeks…even months in advance, one week before the due date I re-confirm with the client. If they don’t confirm or answer my message……I don’t do the cake.