What do I have to pay a "DEPOSIT"?
An excellent
question!
Yes, we require a 50% non-refundable
deposit on all our orders payable at the time of ordering.
Why?
First,
we are a custom design cake studio AND if the order is cancelled, we cannot sell
the cake to someone else since it was made for a specific client. We are not a
walk-in bakery or large scale grocery store where we have ready made cakes to
sell. All our cakes are made-to-order to the customer's specifications.
Secondly, when we take a deposit, we book that day and commit ourselves
to your order. Many times we turn down business because we are booked already.
Should an order be cancelled, we have lost business since we have turned away
clients in order to design a particular cake.The non-refundable deposit covers
the lost opportunities and the costs incurred by the vendor based on your
commitment. In the past, we have ordered specialty items or started production
on specialty cakes, only to be called a few days prior to completion to have the
order cancelled. For example, one time I had an order for an "adult oriented" cake, and after having the cake baked and started working on the decorations, I received a call needing to cancel. There is no way I could have resold the cake since 1) it was adult oriented 2) it had some very specific custom designs requested by the client. You know the saying, "...it only takes once".
So
requesting a "deposit" does 2 things:
1) It protects the customer. When you
place an order and pay the 50% non-refundable deposit, you are guaranteed that your order is
booked with us. The deposit protects the client
and assures the client that the vendor will be there. No worries! and
2)
It protects us against cancelled orders and lost business.
1 comment:
As a Bridal Consultant, I completely agree, deposits are important to any business in the wedding industry. As Tara said, it protects the customer as well as yourself from lost business and potential customers.
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