Value service and experience

I wonder how many of you specialists can relate to this story about value, service and experience?

A lady wanted to purchase a beautiful handmade cake and spotted a local cake maker who did absolutely amazing work, but she charged a good price too.

The lady thought that her price was way too high so she approached the cake maker and in quite an abrupt fashion stated “I want to buy a cake from you, but I think you charge too much!”

The cake maker was a little taken aback but replied “Ok, how much do you think I should charge?”

The lady replied “I think you should charge “X” much, because the flour will cost this much, and eggs this much, and fondant this much etc. I have even factored in the price of a pan.”

The final price the lady had calculated was a lot cheaper than the cake maker’s original price, but she said “Ok, it’s a deal. You will get your cake in a week”.

The customer is very pleased with herself and she can’t resist telling all her friends what a fabulous deal she has negotiated and how smart she is, and that in a week she will have her gorgeous cake.

A week later her cake arrives. She opens it and inside is flour, eggs, fondant etc. and even a pan. Angrily she contacts the cake maker asking “How could you do this to me? I asked you for a cake and you sent me a box of flour, egg, fondant and a pan!”

The cake maker quietly replies “My dear, you got exactly what you paid for, if you think that there is something missing, then you are absolutely right and you need to pay for it.”

Moral of the story, when you buy a bespoke service you are not just buying just the materials you are buying the, time, effort, skill, training, costs of business, tax, overheads, love, passion and dedication that goes into providing a bespoke service.

So please, have some respect for people who are doing what they are doing for a living, to feed the family.

If you’re ‘baking that special cake’ carry on with what you are doing, for people who are watching others ‘baking the cake’ and think they can do better – go for it.

Do you add value in the service you provide and are you also prepared to pay for experience? I’d love to know your thoughts.