Negative feedback

Hi
It’s very upsetting when you receive negative feedback, I’ve had it happen once and it really upset me (I later learnt that the client was a serial refund queen from other local traders and always tried to get refunds)!

After now being in the cake game a while, I’ve learnt you have to take a business approach to this type of thing and accept that you will never please everyone. You did the right thing and have offered the client alternatives, although from reading your post it doesn’t sound like she gave you any cake back to take a look at, you’ve now put the ball in the clients court as you’ve done all you can.

Don’t beat yourself up over it, just put it down to experience.

xx

Hi,
I know the feeling. I had one client give me feedback that the cupcakes I made her were too dry despite having found out later from the friend that referred her to me that she had left the cupcakes sitting outside for about 4hours.

However, I never had any more negative feedback from clients at least till this day and its been almost a year since this incident. Sometimes people just can’t be pleased, and like Paula mentioned some people just like to complain just so they don’t have to pay. What I don’t understand is her comment about the cake being “fully cooked.” Isn’t a cake suppose to be fully cooked? Did she want it runny in the middle?

My advice is to remember that you know the time, effort, and care you took in making the cake. You know whether its a A,B,C,D, or F effort. And if in your honest opinion it was an A effort then it was. At least thats how I see it. I’m a perfectionist and so when someone says anything negative about my creations, yes I take it to heart but I also remember (or at least now after some many tears) that I gave it my all and sometimes people just can’t be pleased.

Unfortunately as bakers we are never able to really taste the final creation so you may never know exactly what her complaint was but it was very courteous and professional for you to offer not only to make her another cake but to refund her the money.Every cake is an experience and this is just another one, just don’t beat yourself up about it.

These are just my two cents. :)

Keeping it sweet always!
Cathy
http://www.facebook.com/downtown.cupcake

Keep your chin up! Not everyone will be happy. I think the best thing to do is have faith in your work. If you feel you gave 100%, then graciously apologize and offer to give her a great deal on her next order. The cake couldn’t have been that bad, or she would have notified you immediately. And when this incident gets to you, think of ALL the other cakes you’ve made and had rave reviews :)

Vany, so sorry to hear about your experience – but that’s all part of our world. It hurts because we always want to please our clients. Keep in mind that You can only make amends if client is willing – you tried and she doesn’t seem open to giving you a second chance – so let it go. A bouquet of roses is beautiful but you will find thorns – think of this experience as one of those thorns that hurts but do not detract from the beauty of the roses ?

Thank you guys for all the nice comments. This feedback really took a toll on me. I’ve been down and freaking out since.
Before she ordered from me, she mentioned that her friend does the same thing but she wanted to taste mine. There was a lot of back and forth with the pricing and all. Now I realized that the friend prices her work a lot cheaper than mine. To my opinion she is underselling herself (maybe trying to keep up with publix, walmart, and target prices). So I’m wondering could that have something to do with the complaint as well. And I did freeze a smaller portion of the cake that I plan on testing today so I can understand what she meant by fully cooked. Like you mentioned CathyC, last time I checked all cakes were supposed to be fully cooked. Maybe she’s referring to dryness, we’ll see….

I have heard two quotes from friends, in the past year, which I have held close.

Quote number 1: “It’s none of your business what someone else thinks of you.”
Quote number 2: “I don’t do negative energy, I don’t have the time for it.”

All you can be, is your personal best. Don’t doubt yourself. Like Oprah says, “Get up each morning and be the best you you can be.”
It sounds like negative energy to me, don’t waste your time worrying about it. It will gnaw at you and steal away your creativity.