So…. this February I bought a cake for a Valentine’s Day party I was throwing. I bought the cake online – it was WAY cheaper than any cake I could get around here. Unfortunately… I ordered the cake a little late; grrrrr the tracking number showed that it might not get here on time. I went to talk to a friend of mine – she owns a bakery, and asked her if she could whip me up a cake in time for the party later that evening. While we were standing there chatting a man came in and asked if my friend would sponsor his kid in a state-wide wrestling tournament again this year, she said, “Of course… get me the information and I’ll get you a check.” After he left, my friend said she’d have to work the next day (Sunday) to make her orders for Monday if she dedicated her whole day to my cake but she knew it was important to me so… she made a few phone calls and started to mix up the batter.
Meanwhile, my kids called and said the delivery man just put something on our porch. I told my friend thanks anyway but my online cake just showed up and asked her to please understand that I saved $10 by going with the internet option. She put the batter in the fridge, said she understood and wished me well with my Valentine’s Day party…
I got home and looked at the cake – it looked ok, but not like other cakes I’ve seen. I cut a slice of it and took it back to my friend; I showed her the slice and asked what the online bakery used to make this confection. I can’t believe she didn’t know – I mean SHE’S A BAKER for chrissakes!!!! She did offer to check out the website to see if she could figure it out. While she was searching the website for me, a few customers stopped in for baked goods; she took care of those people and left me standing there waiting for her (I was NOT overly thrilled). After about 15 minutes she came back with a list of ingredients. I thanked her, told her how wonderful she is and again, mentioned that if it weren’t for the savings I would NEVER have ordered my cake online.
A few weeks later we were planning a party for my dad’s birthday… we needed a cake. I went to my friend the baker. I asked her what kind of cake she suggested – you know, since she knows my dad so well. While we were discussing my dad’s likes, dislikes and his food allergies, the local librarian stopped in and thanked my friend for her donation to the summer reading program; my friend apologized for the smaller donation this year and explained her cake sales had really bottomed out because of internet bakery sites. We talked a few more minutes after the librarian left then I thanked my friend for her suggestions and went home to order my cake online. While I was waiting for my credit card to process, I looked over at my son’s Little League picture and my heart was so full of love, seeing him there in his jersey – with my friend’s bakery name emblazoned on the front, I counted back the years my friend had sponsored his team… 7? 8? When the cake came I couldn’t believe it was not what I ordered – even to the point of containing one of my dad’s allergens. My friend, the baker, came through for me – she quickly frosted a cake and brought it to the party because I was already entertaining guests and couldn’t leave… She’s a life saver (literally, in this case) but I have to admit, I was a little shocked when she charged me a delivery fee – with all the business I used to give her.
For my anniversary I price shopped all over the internet for a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing (if the icing didn’t get him, the money saving would!!!) – when I got the cake… the icing was white. I took a spoonful of the icing to my friend the baker and asked her what the online bakery sent me. She told me she had no idea and suggested I call the online bakery. I told her, repeatedly, about the automated system and subsequent non-existent customer service at the online bakery number. She said she was sorry but she couldn’t help me…
I am livid!!!
What the hell?????? Over the years I’ve given her a lot of business and now she can’t help me???? …wasn’t it her shop that made my kid’s birthday cake 2 years ago – she should remember, after all she delivered it during that blizzard ‘cause my car broke down??? Didn’t I give her a huge shout out that night she went into the shop at 11pm because my friends and I were craving her cupcakes? I gave her $5 extra a few years ago when she gave me that amazing castle cake for my daughter’s birthday even though I wasn’t going to be able to pay for it until I got paid at the beginning of the month. If she could save money she would jump at the chance… and now she can’t tell me what’s in this cake I got online?????
Ridiculous scenario, right? Yeah… not so much. Every time you see the word bakery – insert pharmacy, when you see cake, cupcake or icing – insert medication and now you know exactly what I deal with in these times of mail-order pharmacy (for that matter… you can write this same story about any small-town business). Please, I beg of you… please realize you might save a few dollars with mail-order but in so doing, you are destroying local businesses – the very people who sponsor your kids, your seniors, your local community events… I will NEVER jeopardize your health, I will NEVER let you go without medication BUT… If you come to us ONLY when you have an emergency, pretty soon – we won’t be there to help you out. If you still find mail-order justifiable – ok… I can live with that, I understand how expensive medications can be, but please understand I JUST CAN’T MAKE MAIL-ORDER EASY FOR YOU.