It never ceases to amaze me how inconsiderate and/or un/mistrained and/or just plain stupid some people are.
My friend Nikki's kids had a birthday party this weekend. I asked Nikki what to get them, and we got to talking about how expensive the fancy birthday cakes are now-a-days. I had one of those moments where a light comes on and a chorus sings "AHHHAAA" in the background - I was trained how to make all those fancy cakes (and I did a pretty dang good job at it I might add) at Cold Stone...so to save Nikki money and avoid her headaches by giving her kids some lame toy, I offered to make them the cakes they wanted.
I know how to bake, but I remembered that we used frozen sheet cakes at Cold Stone and they worked really well because they're level and dense and yummy. So I called Grocery Store with a Bakery #1. I won't use names to protect the identity and reputation of the rest of the store, which I've not had an issue with in the past...just the bakery.
Bakery Kid: "uh, this is the bakery"
Me: "I'm looking for frozen sheet cakes"
Bakery Kid: "for what"
Me: "I'm having a birthday party and I want to make a theme cake that you don't have the license for, so I want to just by the cake part from you"
Bakery Kid: "so you just want the cake, like with no frosting or anything"
Me: "yeah, can I buy that?"
Bakery Kid: "let me check"
*overheard him asking another bakery person "this lady wants to buy just cake, can she do that?"
Other Bakery Person: "uh, I guess, like what kind"
Bakery Kid: "what kind do you want"
Me: "just white or yellow"
Bakery Kid: "ok, hang on"
*overheard him asking another bakery person "she just wants plain white cake"
Other Bakery Person: "well we don't have the frozen kind anymore, we make them here now"
Bakery Kid: "we don't have the frozen kind anymore, we make them here now"
Me: "that's fine, how much are they"
Bakery Kid: "$68"
Me: "$68 for just plain cake?!"
Bakery Kid: "yeah, well we have to charge you the full amount even if we don't spend time or use the stuff to decorate it"
Me: "ok, well let me check a couple other places and if I can't find what I'm looking for I'll call back" CLICK
yeah, like I'm going to call back, and pay $68 for plain freaking cake when for $2 I can buy a box mix and make one myself.
So, I make a phone call to Grocery Store with a Bakery #2:
Me: "Hi, I'm looking for a frozen sheet cake, just the cake. Do you have any that I can purchase?"
Bakery Lady: "Well we have them, but I can't sell it to you in case I need it for a cake order."
Me: "Well then can I place an order for a cake...one with no decorations, just the cake?"
Bakery Lady: "No, I need the cake for if someone places a cake order."
Me: "I just did place a cake order."
Bakery Lady: "No, you want just plain cake."
Me: "I'll pay the full price for it, but I just want plain cake."
Bakery Lady, obviously getting annoyed: "Look, I can't sell you just plain cake, ok."
Me, obviously more annoyed: "And I obviously won't be shopping in your store anymore since I can't place a cake order for cake." CLICK
I sorta fail to see why I can't place a cake order without frosting. I mean, you can order pizza without sauce or cheese or toppings and the pizza place will gladly take your money. Heck at Cold Stone we were trained to pretty much sell the shirt off our backs if someone wanted it.
So at this point, I'm getting a little irritated. So I hope that Grocery Store with a Bakery #3 can help me out:
Me: "I need a frozen sheet cake. Do you have them."
Bakery Man/Woman?: "I don't think we can sell just the cake."
Me: "Can I place a cake order then with just cake, no frosting or decorations?"
Bakery Man/Woman?: "Well think it's against our health rules or something to sell just cake."
Me: "I'm pretty sure it's not, I've worked in food service - making cakes to be specific - and if you can't sell me just the cake, why could you sell me the same cake but with frosting on it."
Bakery Man/Woman?: "Well, let me as the manager."
7 minutes later
Bakery Man/Woman?: "My manager isn't sure how we would charge you for it."
Me: "so does that mean I can't buy it?"
Bakery Man/Woman?: "Um, I guess so."
Me: CLICK
Ok...so I get the not being sure how to charge me for it - because obviously the full price for just the cake part is a little rediculous....but the rest...I just don't get it. How are these places staying in business by refusing to sell their products? HELLO, I'M TRYING TO GIVE YOU MY MONEY!!!!
I am seriously going to have to become completly self sufficient or I might lose my mind.
OH...and for those of you who have worked retail before, and have had some unreasonable demands....I've been there! Believe me, I've put up with more than my share of stupid customers...but I can guarantee you, ordering plain cake, from a bakery, is NOT an unreasonable request!
My friend Nikki's kids had a birthday party this weekend. I asked Nikki what to get them, and we got to talking about how expensive the fancy birthday cakes are now-a-days. I had one of those moments where a light comes on and a chorus sings "AHHHAAA" in the background - I was trained how to make all those fancy cakes (and I did a pretty dang good job at it I might add) at Cold Stone...so to save Nikki money and avoid her headaches by giving her kids some lame toy, I offered to make them the cakes they wanted.
I know how to bake, but I remembered that we used frozen sheet cakes at Cold Stone and they worked really well because they're level and dense and yummy. So I called Grocery Store with a Bakery #1. I won't use names to protect the identity and reputation of the rest of the store, which I've not had an issue with in the past...just the bakery.
Bakery Kid: "uh, this is the bakery"
Me: "I'm looking for frozen sheet cakes"
Bakery Kid: "for what"
Me: "I'm having a birthday party and I want to make a theme cake that you don't have the license for, so I want to just by the cake part from you"
Bakery Kid: "so you just want the cake, like with no frosting or anything"
Me: "yeah, can I buy that?"
Bakery Kid: "let me check"
*overheard him asking another bakery person "this lady wants to buy just cake, can she do that?"
Other Bakery Person: "uh, I guess, like what kind"
Bakery Kid: "what kind do you want"
Me: "just white or yellow"
Bakery Kid: "ok, hang on"
*overheard him asking another bakery person "she just wants plain white cake"
Other Bakery Person: "well we don't have the frozen kind anymore, we make them here now"
Bakery Kid: "we don't have the frozen kind anymore, we make them here now"
Me: "that's fine, how much are they"
Bakery Kid: "$68"
Me: "$68 for just plain cake?!"
Bakery Kid: "yeah, well we have to charge you the full amount even if we don't spend time or use the stuff to decorate it"
Me: "ok, well let me check a couple other places and if I can't find what I'm looking for I'll call back" CLICK
yeah, like I'm going to call back, and pay $68 for plain freaking cake when for $2 I can buy a box mix and make one myself.
So, I make a phone call to Grocery Store with a Bakery #2:
Me: "Hi, I'm looking for a frozen sheet cake, just the cake. Do you have any that I can purchase?"
Bakery Lady: "Well we have them, but I can't sell it to you in case I need it for a cake order."
Me: "Well then can I place an order for a cake...one with no decorations, just the cake?"
Bakery Lady: "No, I need the cake for if someone places a cake order."
Me: "I just did place a cake order."
Bakery Lady: "No, you want just plain cake."
Me: "I'll pay the full price for it, but I just want plain cake."
Bakery Lady, obviously getting annoyed: "Look, I can't sell you just plain cake, ok."
Me, obviously more annoyed: "And I obviously won't be shopping in your store anymore since I can't place a cake order for cake." CLICK
I sorta fail to see why I can't place a cake order without frosting. I mean, you can order pizza without sauce or cheese or toppings and the pizza place will gladly take your money. Heck at Cold Stone we were trained to pretty much sell the shirt off our backs if someone wanted it.
So at this point, I'm getting a little irritated. So I hope that Grocery Store with a Bakery #3 can help me out:
Me: "I need a frozen sheet cake. Do you have them."
Bakery Man/Woman?: "I don't think we can sell just the cake."
Me: "Can I place a cake order then with just cake, no frosting or decorations?"
Bakery Man/Woman?: "Well think it's against our health rules or something to sell just cake."
Me: "I'm pretty sure it's not, I've worked in food service - making cakes to be specific - and if you can't sell me just the cake, why could you sell me the same cake but with frosting on it."
Bakery Man/Woman?: "Well, let me as the manager."
7 minutes later
Bakery Man/Woman?: "My manager isn't sure how we would charge you for it."
Me: "so does that mean I can't buy it?"
Bakery Man/Woman?: "Um, I guess so."
Me: CLICK
Ok...so I get the not being sure how to charge me for it - because obviously the full price for just the cake part is a little rediculous....but the rest...I just don't get it. How are these places staying in business by refusing to sell their products? HELLO, I'M TRYING TO GIVE YOU MY MONEY!!!!
I am seriously going to have to become completly self sufficient or I might lose my mind.
OH...and for those of you who have worked retail before, and have had some unreasonable demands....I've been there! Believe me, I've put up with more than my share of stupid customers...but I can guarantee you, ordering plain cake, from a bakery, is NOT an unreasonable request!
"Heck at Cold Stone we were trained to pretty much sell the shirt off our backs if someone wanted it."
ReplyDelete...I'm no expert on the matter, but I think that makes you a stripper.
Also, WTF is wrong with these people?! You should probably just walk in and ask some lame-ass teenage dude to hook you up with a cake. Show him your left boob--just the left one--and that should be all it takes.