NEWS & SOLUTIONS 1997-04-28

NANCY GRIFFIN

Decorated cakes are the sweet confections that grace our most important occasions -- and they are also the litmus test of a supermarket bakery's product quality and capacity to provide service.

But when planning a large party where the cake will be a centerpiece, is the in-store bakery really a good place to turn to?

Supermarket executives would certainly like to think so. In a "secret shopper" telephone survey, SN tested some in-store bakeries on how well they sell their special occasion cakes, and on their willingness to help with party planning.

The secret shopper was a harried mom trying to save drive time, by calling around to retailers to see who could help in planning an athletic son's graduation party, with her cake needs specifically in mind.

After calling 10 supermarkets with in-store bakeries around the country, the caller found she was able, in most cases, to get the basic facts about the cake options available and a bit more, but not much in the way of assistance beyond that.

Most of the bakery personnel contacted delivered the fundamentals with a dose of the sweetness for which bakeries are noted; but at least one impatient bakery associate could hardly wait to get the SN caller off the phone.

Beyond prices and flavors, "mom" typically didn't get a whole lot of additional planning help, even when she indicated a willingness to buy more than just a cake from the store. Another missed opportunity for a package deal?

However, given the fact that the inquiries were made over the phone, mom also wouldn't complain about the service she did get. Often the employees, although clearly busy with in-store customers, still took the time to be gracious.

All stores required the buyer to pick up the cake, saying they only deliver wedding cakes.

First, the secret shopper tested how long it took to get through to the store's main number, then how long it took to reach the bakery and how personnel greeted the caller.

All but one store fared well in the speed department, but a few of the telephone answerers could do with basic some phone skills, such as how to speak slowly and enunciate.

Once the department was reached, bakers then were asked what type and size cake they would recommend to serve 50 people at the graduation party.

After learning the particulars and the price of the cake, mom asked whether customized or standard store graduation decorations were available. Then she wanted to know if the cake could be made half chocolate and half yellow, and if she could add a little sports theme to the cake as well.

When cake questions were completed, mom asked for a recommendation of other pastries "for people at the party who don't like cake."

Mom also said she might be interested in buying all the food for the party there at the store. "Do you make those long sandwiches or trays of tiny sandwiches?" This final question weeded out the patient from the testy, and those who knew the store's offerings beyond their department from those who knew, and presumably cared, only about bakery.

In every bakery, associates were able to immediately rattle off the cake size needed -- either three-quarters or a full sheet cake, depending on the size the store made.

"Sheet cake? What's a sheet cake," mom asked. That question stumped several bakery personnel. Apparently they were so familiar with their store jargon, they failed to realize the caller might not understand the term.

Indeed, most bakery associates immediately responded by supplying the price, assuming the caller had meant "what's a sheet cake cost?"

Only one person directly answered the sheet-cake question immediately, by saying it was "a flat cake." Most others, after saying the price only to have the question repeated, paused and then tried to explain about the flavors and the number of pieces, but still failed to quickly and concisely explain just what a sheet cake is.

In the course of their explanations, the nature of each operator's version of a sheet cake became clear. Some stores, it turned out, had a one-layer sheet cake only, while others had two-layer sheet cakes. A few didn't specify layers. Some charged extra for fillings when available, and some did not, or at least did not indicate a price difference. Some charged different prices for different fillings and different cakes.

All the bakery employees instantly knew and supplied the number of 2-inch-by-2-inch pieces the cake would provide, or the number of people a certain size cake was designed to serve.

A Hannaford Bros.' Shop & Save in Portland, Maine, offered the lowest-priced full sheet cake, at $29.99, plus tax.

A Wakefern Food Corp. ShopRite in Elizabeth, N.J., offered the other end of the cake price spectrum. Its full sheet cake, designed to serve 40 to 60 people, cost $50 with buttercream and $55 with whipped cream frosting -- perhaps evidence in each case of what the market would bear.

At Hannaford, since the cake was baked outside, the one-layer confection designed to serve 50 or 60 could only be sold as all-chocolate, all-yellow or marble.

Graduation decorations -- the standard hat and diploma -- were included in the price at Hannaford, but the addition of an extra sports theme would cost another $4.

The Shop & Save was easy to reach. The phone rang once and a friendly, easy-to-understand woman answered the main number, identified the store location and offered to help. The bakery phone also rang only once, and another cheerful woman answered, saying, "Hi. Bakery, may I help you?"

Surprisingly, not all the in-store bakeries offered an obvious array of additional party pastries. The Shop & Save unit was one of a handful that offered a pastry tray filled with minipastries, including fig squares and cream puffs, that served 12 for $9.99. The store needed only 24-hours notice and, like all the other retailers contacted, would not deliver.

The friendly woman from the bakery counter at Hannaford was one of only three store employees contacted who could or would provide detailed answers about deli platters to complete the party.

A few others offered general information; all the bakery employees told the caller that sandwiches came from the deli department, and offered to transfer her.

The Hannaford associate, however, immediately described a party platter with 72 minisandwiches to serve 24 to 28 people, and asked politely if she could put the phone down to double-check before giving out the price. She returned promptly to report such a platter would cost $39.99 and needed 24-hours notice.

Even this paragon of courtesy and knowledge, however, could not answer questions about paper plates or napkins with a graduation theme, but she offered to page someone from the proper department. If she was trying only to nail down a bakery sale, it didn't show. Her urge to be helpful seemed quite genuine.

As with most of the supermarkets contacted, the ShopRite in Elizabeth offered a book of decorations from which the prospective partygiver could choose and stocked a standard cap and diploma theme. An additional sports theme went for $7 and meant the cake had to be done in buttercream "because the colors will run in whipped cream."

It took five rings to reach a courteous person at the ShopRite's main number, who offered the manager's name before transferring the call directly to the bakery.

The man who took the call in bakery answered all questions quickly without offering much additional information. However, when asked about pastries, he suggested a cookie assortment or assorted little pastries for $6.99 a pound.

He didn't know about theme paper goods and was eager to transfer "mom" to the deli for answers to her other questions. He wasn't exactly curt, but toward the end of the conversation he'd clearly had enough questions and showed some impatience.

The most complicated and interesting array of cake choices came from an H.E. Butt Grocery Co. store in San Antonio. The call was answered by a friendly, polite woman; next it took several moments of phone commercials for the bakery to pick up, but the woman who answered responded to the basic questions. She then put "mom" onto a cake decorator to discuss the graduation theme.

H-E-B's full sheet cake (96 pieces, serving 60 to 75 people) came in white, yellow, chocolate, German chocolate and Italian walnut. The bakery would make the cake in any combination the buyer wanted, but certainly a half-chocolate and half-yellow cake presented no problem.

Prices started at $38.99 for most flavors, including decorations, putting the standard H-E-B cake in the middle of cake prices nationwide. The exotic Italian number cost $37.99 for a half sheet. Fillings cost another $8. Addition of soccer candles for the sports theme added another $3.99.

The helpful decorator at H-E-B offered the department's direct telephone line for more convenient ordering, tempted the partygiver with packages of fruit-filled strudel bites and said the bakery would be happy to make a tray of assorted cookies at $2.49 a dozen with only "one or two days" notice on the whole bunch.

She also said the deli would gladly make up 4-foot or 6-foot submarine sandwiches, meat, cheese or fruit trays, and that she'd be happy to transfer the call so "mom" could ask for prices.

At a Publix Super Market store in Lakeland, Fla., a three-quarter sheet cake serving 60 went for $35.99 without decorations and $49 with. Decorations could be chosen from a book, customized, and the addition of a sports theme would "cost a little extra," said a source at the bakery.

Layers were optional and fillings were extra. A regular fruit filling added $5.25 and a fresh-fruit filling, such as strawberries, added $11.

Asked about other pastries, the associate wasn't sure. "Hold on a sec, let me see," she said. "We have pies, or you can come in here and choose. We have turnovers, but they're not small," she continued. Finally, she hit on the answer, "We have mini cream puffs in little package for $2 to $3, but we can make them up in one big order." No deli information was available at the bakery; she offered a transfer.

While price comparisons could not be considered cut and dried -- cakes varied in size, composition and could be one- or two-layered -- a Fred Meyer Inc. store in Burlingame, Ore. offered the second-priciest cake, although not by much.

For $40.99 and 48-hours notice, the buyer from Fred Meyer could have a full sheet cake, with two layers, decorated "any way you want." Fillings available were raspberry, lemon or Bavarian cream, or the bakers would fill the cake with icing.

This store would make one layer of each flavor, but not half of each, "because it would crack in the middle," the friendly associate. She offered to put an extra sports decoration "up in the corner" at no cost; and said with 24-hours notice, the store could make up an assorted cookie tray at $2.99 per two dozen.

Sandwiches? Sure. "We make the large sandwiches, fruit trays and more in the service deli. May I transfer you?"

Next down the price list was a Supervalu Cub Foods store in Apple Valley, Minn., near Minneapolis. The friendly bakery person there answered quickly, described a full sheet cake with 96 pieces, was happy to explain a sheet cake with full decorations for $39.99 and offered local school colors along with the hat and diploma.

Cub couldn't do two flavors because their cake was unlayered and the bakery is too busy at graduation time, so the associate recommended either two half-sheets (at $27.99 each) or a marble cake. Two days' notice please.

She also offered 'strudel bites' with blueberry or strawberry filling at 18 to a package for $2.79. "They're just what you want, they're tiny," she said.

This associate told "mom" about the big sandwiches and the meat and cheese trays available in the deli and offered a transfer.

Next down the price list was a Winn-Dixie store in Jacksonville, Fla., where the name of the store was stated so unclearly when the phone was answered that "mom" thought she might have a wrong number.

A full sheet cake that serves 80 to 100 people went for $37.98 at the Winn-Dixie, the caller learned after one false start. The associate, who sounded new to the job, first priced the cake at $36.98, but revised that after discussion with a colleague.

She knew the price included the graduation decorations and the cake could be made half-and-half. She had to check on the cost of an additional sports decoration ($6).

Although she had to be prompted to offer cookies when she came up dry on other pastries for the party, The Winn-Dixie associate then described them in detail and knew the price (30 for $3.98).

While she was friendly and clearly wanted to be helpful, she couldn't say what the deli offered. "They used to have those big sandwiches -- I'm not sure," was her reply.

A Ralphs Grocery Co. unit in Carson, Calif., had helpful personnel all around. When "mom" called the main office by mistake, employees there conferred about which store bakery would be her best bet; they decided the Domingus Hills store was convenient and they could recommend the bakery personally, since, they said, they'd used it for their own events.

The store had one of the more outstanding phone voices answering its main number. She said, "Good morning, Ralph's Domingus Hills," in a voice that made "mom" glad she'd called.

The equally friendly bakery associate was a little confused when asked what a sheet cake is, but patiently tried to explain it.

She said a full one would serve up to 70 or 80, could be filled and would include graduation decorations. Sports? Sure, at $5 extra.

Fillings included strawberry, chocolate, custard, fudge and cherry. Ralph's would gladly make the cake half yellow, half chocolate. Buttercream frosting for $34.95 or whipped cream for $38.95.

Other pastries? "We have cream cakes in slices, cinnamon rolls, assorted cookies at $2.19 a dozen," she explained, listing flavors that included brownie nut, chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin. "The cookies are middle-sized, not those great big ones. We can do cookies on a tray for you to make them look nice."

Deli? "We have a mini-sandwich platter that serves 48 for $32.99, with roast beef, turkey and ham sandwiches. We only need 24-hours notice for everything," said the helpful associate, offering a transfer to the deli and adding, "I hope you call back."

Women who answered the phone at the main number and the bakery in a Kroger Co. store in Cincinnati, were courteous, clear and friendly. The call was put through instantly to the bakery with no waiting or musical interludes, which was the case with most other stores.

The bakery associate, who sounded young, was eager to help, saying the unlayered full sheet cake serves 40 to 60 people for $34.99, with another $5 for the graduation decoration kit and same for the additional sports kit. With 24-hours notice the cake would be ready, half chocolate and half yellow.

As for other pastries, the caller was treated to a short musical interlude while the associate looked for the "book." When she returned, she offered trays of danish, bagels or cookies, but added, "We don't offer much."

The deli could provide meat or cheese party trays, but she didn't know if the store carried party decorations.

At a Food Lion in Salisbury, N.C., the phone was answered cheerfully, but it took several rings to reach the bakery, which seemed to be very busy. A full sheet cake, not filled, went for $33.99 with roses and lettering, plus $5 for the addition of sports decorations.

Other pastries? "We have cookies at $2.99 for 24. Give us a day and we can bake them, put them on a tray in an assortment of three flavors," said the polite and helpful, but stressed-sounding associate. Sandwiches? "Yes, 1-foot long at $7.99 each. May I transfer you?"

All in all, out of 10 stores, three bakery employees offered fairly detailed information about deli platters; four offered a little deli information and three offered none -- but all offered a transfer to the department. Two had no knowledge of the store's party paper goods.

The survey indicated that "mom" could do worse than to call the local supermarket, but at least a couple of stores could probably do a little better with associate training.

The associates lacking information were obviously anxious to be helpful, but simply didn't have the knowledge. Only one appeared to have the knowledge, but not the inclination to share.