The day we decided to forgo an order... over $2

Customer placed an order online and opted for a generic Happy Birthday tag. Then called the shop insisting that we provide her with a customized message tag FOC, despite knowing that we charge an extra $2 for this. Her rationale was "I already paid over $70 for the cake with delivery so you cannot charge me for the customized message".

We have come to realize that there is "selective incomprehension" on the concept of customization with some folks. In the case of message on cake, our chefs will prepare generic message tags (e.g. Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary etc.) and these are provided FOC to customers who requested for them. However, if the required message is something outside of our generic options, we need to ensure that this is specially done for the customer concerned. And as with all customization, there is an additional fee involved - in this case $2+gst. This we make known to customers before they place their orders, so that they can make an informed decision on whether to stick with the generic message or pay extra for a customized one. There was a time when we used to do customized messages for free. But the ever-increasing number of such requests have added to the work load of our chefs. Many a times they will need to stay back after their official working hours just to complete writing all customized messages for the next day. And this represents a real additional cost to us (because we need to pay our chefs for the overtime). Majority of our customers are aware and understanding towards the customization charge. Then there are the minority. But back to our original story...

So the customer insisted that we do her customized message FOC else she wanted to cancel her order. Many cake shop will probably bend over upon hearing this. But we stuck to our guns and allowed her to cancel her order. A cash refund was made after deducting for admin fee (to cover the online payment charges).

Some may feel that we have "missed the forest for a single tree" by forgoing a $70+ order over $2. Yes, it may seem a tad unwise. Bordering on stupidity even. Then again, we have always been quite the stickler with our business principles. Maybe we will lose a few orders because of this. Or maybe a couple of customers even. But it is something important that we need to take a stand on. We always strive to be fair and ethical when doing business with our customers. In return, we need our customers to respect our terms and conditions of sale, which we expressly communicate to all customers prior to them placing orders. And as we have said many a time, we will not hesitate to forgo doing business with those who cannot respect/agree with our trading terms. While one may deem this stupid, we deem this being principled. But we can always agree to disagree...

Comments

A New Chapter at 23!

Come June 2nd, The Patissier is celebrating our 23rd anniversary. This milestone not only represents a fresh start as Singapore fully emerges from the dark shadows of Covid-19 but also marks a significant turning point as we prepare to embark on an exciting new chapter in our journey. With great anticipation and a touch of nostalgia, we will be moving from our current location of 18 years to a new home at 166 Tyrwhitt Road, set to take place at the end of June. This also signifies that 2023 will be the final anniversary that we will be marking at 4 Mohd Sultan Road. Over the past 23 years, The Patissier has become a beloved establishment, known for its exquisite cakes and unwavering commitment to quality. Our customers have journeyed with us, and have allowed us to partake in their moments of joy and celebration through our creations. The journey has been nothing short of incredible, and we are immensely grateful for the support and encouragements accorded to us. Saying goodbye t

The Big Move ...

After spending almost 2 decades at our current location, we are finally moving out of Mohd Sultan Road. This is not an easy decision, especially when we have become quite the establishment where we are at. But with our lease coming to an end this year, we have been liaising with our landlord on renewal matters since 3 rd quarter of last year. And after almost 18 years and 5 lease renewals later, we did not expect the “take it or leave it” ultimatum that was handed down to us. To be fair, the relationship with our landlord has always been amicable for the past years. So the latest renewal negotiation (or the lack thereof) really took us by surprise. We always pay our rental on time and have been quite the model tenant. But we reckon they must have their rationale and well, it is what it is. This, coupled with leaking aircons and corroding pipes (as these fixtures predate the time when we first took over the unit), as well as our desire for a larger space (not an absolute need but m

Our new recipes

Customers have often asked us about how do we decide and come up with new cake flavors. Our chefs typically create between 2 to 3 new cake recipes every year. And this is excluding the new Christmas and CNY cakes. Not all of these cakes will eventually turn out to be winners though. A couple of our new recipes, the Laksa cake for example, are deemed a tad too exotic for the common palate. But many have become personal favorites and even made it onto our staple list. So, what are the typical considerations that go into the development of our new cake recipes? Foremost, we always attempt to do a flavor not done before. Our Mother’s Day cake in 2019, which we had incorporated ingredients such as birds’ nest and Chrysanthemum, is a prime example. Next, we wish to be able to excite and delight our loyal customers that have been supporting us for all these years. And finally, we like to create a flavor that customers of all ages are able to relate to. For this Mother’s Day, our chefs hav

The Patissier's Chronicle

Search This Blog