VIDEO: Drugs in the Cake
This is part three in a four part food safety storytelling series, all involving incidents from my food industry career that involve finding things in the food, which didn’t belong in the food. In this video, I tell a story about a customer who alleged that she found drugs in her cake. It answers the question of what you can do if a customer tries to scam your business by planting something in their food and lodging an illegitimate complaint.
Link to Part 1: Hair in Food
Link to Part 2: Glass in Pasta + Hairnet Fashion Show
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I was one of the head cake decorators at my local Wegmans bakery.
One morning, one of my team leads approached me and asked if I had any change on me. I apologized and said that I didn’t, which caused her to storm off. I was confused, but it was a busy Saturday afternoon so I just chalked it up to her wanting a coffee or something.
About 20 minutes later, the bakery manager approached me and asked if we could have a chat in the back. I followed her to her desk, and with her arms crossed, she stated that a customer had found change in the birthday cake that I had decorated. She also asked if I had change on me that morning, and if I had put any into the cake. I was in awe that they were suggesting that I would do something like that, as I’d been a long-time employee, had a pastry degree, and was ServSafe certified. Plus, I loved my job and our customers!
I stated that I didn’t have any change on me, and that I didn’t have any pockets on my pants either (thanks to clothing companies believing that women don’t need real functioning pockets).
Turns out, a disgruntled employee at the Wegmans factory had tossed change into the cake batter. I wish I had heard what the outcome was for both the employee and the customer, but it’s still the strangest thing I’d ever experienced as a decorator!
I love your videos, you make me laugh!
Love this video! Love the experiment. Especially loved the characters!
I loved the way you did the test on how the pill would bake in the cake. It’s hard to argue that it wasn’t something that was added on your end when you have any level of doubt. I think it was handled very well and would love to have seen what you wrote in your letter. I think it would be great insight on how to word something if it ever, God forbid, it ever happened.
Ah – I would love to share that report with you! But it’s somewhere on the hard drive of the computer at the desk of the person who took over my position at that job. The photos would have been so good in this video too. Ya win some, ya lose some.
You rock!! And you crack me up!! Keep up the good work!
Ok … BOOOO evil customer trying to snow Costco and their suppliers. YAY Kristen saves the day with good sleuthing. But best of all …. BAH HAH HAH HAH These videos are AWESOME!!
That was awesome with some really good recommendations for writing up the report. Thank you, you’re a riot!
Awesome video! One of my customers allegedly found a nail in her cake and there was no way we could do any tests to prove otherwise! None of the mixers has any nails in them, screws yes, but nails no. It is very disheartening to go through that experience
Ahh – I’m sorry this happened to you but it reminds me that I should mention how there is always the chance that the foreign body was introduced via one of the ingredients. For instance, it could have snuck into the flour at the facility that manufactures the flour. If that was indeed the case, unfortunately we still have to take responsibility for it. But it’s a good go-to explanation if you don’t recognize the object as having come from your facility.
I love your videos Kristen, you crack me up! It has never crossed my mind to do all the crazy things you have mentioned, such as putting my own hair in food to get a free meal, or putting drugs in a cake I bought. I don’t get where people’s minds are! Karma can be a nasty thing so I don’t mess around with it.
I am totally excited for your new book!!! Woohoo! I’m purchasing it the second it comes out!
Some people! Good information about doing testing to see if the same result is achieved as what the customer claims.
How did you get your old co-worker’s to participate in your video? Lol.
Can’t wait for the next video.
Great video. Dastardly evil customers 🙂