A New York-based TikToker just had a confusing interaction with a small business, one that made her wonder what happened to the principles of customer support. Alyssa Chanel recently took to the platform to share the frustrating saga of a bakery that fell short for her best friend’s 30th birthday.
Alyssa explained in her post that she called the shop a week in advance to place the order, specifically to ensure there would be no hiccups. She wanted to avoid any last-minute rushing, and the shop confirmed, “No problem. Says it’ll be delivered by Friday.” However, when Friday arrived, and she showed up to the birthday dinner, the staff told her, “No cake has been delivered.” She then called the bakery but realized the shop was already closed.
Alyssa held onto hope that she would be able to resolve it with the bakery and get the cake for the event the next day. Saturday, however, was even worse. She called the shop multiple times, only to be sent straight to voicemail. It was confusing because she knew the bakery was open. It only got stranger when she finally got through to the bakery on Sunday. The employee just said, “Oh yeah we saw you calling yesterday. So sorry but the cake didn’t get delivered on Friday.”
Alyssa was floored. She told the guy, “I don’t really know what happened with this cake. Whether somebody disappeared. The Uber delivery… whatever… but I need it to be redelivered tomorrow, as in Monday, because it’s her actual birthday. Like you’ve missed the birthday dinner. You’ve missed the birthday event, The least you could do is make sure that it gets delivered on Monday.”
When she pushed for a full refund because they were now three days past the delivery date, the employee argued, “Um, we’re happy to do the redelivery but asking for a refund feels like a bit much.” Alyssa’s reaction: “A BIT MUCH? It wouldn’t be anything at all if you just done your job. What are we talking about?”
According to PastryArts Magazine, customer service is the cornerstone of a successful bakery. They noted that prompt responses and a willingness to resolve issues quickly are essential for cottage bakers to foster trust. When a business fails to meet those basic expectations, it doesn’t just lose a sale; it loses its reputation.
Alyssa echoed this when she told the employee that it’s in their best interest to correct mistakes. She reminded him, “In this day and age, all it takes is one Google review, one viral video on TikTok for your whole business to be dismantled.”
The community also debated the bakery’s business goal
In the comments section a user pointed out, “‘A refund feels like a bit much’ oh I’m sorry, not receiving the service I paid for feels like a bit much too….” Another commenter added, “Actively ignoring your call on Saturday was completely unprofessional and just weird!”
Customers expect better, as highlighted by another user, “They also started a CAKE business: time sensitive, special occasions are literally the business. I don’t understand this approach.” Someone else chimed in with, “As a small business owner this literally blows my mind. Every order means soooo much to me I’ll do anything to make sure people have a good experience even if the mail loses the package I’ll just eat the cost and ship a new order.”
Alyssa summed up the whole situation when she asked, “why does basic customer service feel like such a luxury these days??!” She noted that when you’re running a business, you have to own your mess-ups. “Because the same customer who’s ready to tear down your business, because you didn’t follow through on your side of the commitment, can also become one of your biggest advocates”. The bakery has not given any comment on this post.
When we cover stories like this, I think it’s the people who tend to be the problem, not the companies. You get the Brides who refuse to pay, but are shocked when the bakers pack everything away. In Colorado, a bakery had a serial thief who was named the “oatmeal cream pie bandit.”
Published: Jul 6, 2026 07:30 am