I managed a catering company for my boss while he battled cancer. When he couldn’t work, I took the reins and proved myself capable of handling the business. One of my first big gigs as the lead caterer was a wedding for 150 guests, with a contract for $7,500 worth of steak plates. Everything was on track until the day before the wedding, when the bride, Camille, called demanding a last-minute menu change to seafood.
I explained that the contract specified no changes within a month of the event and that we’d already purchased the ingredients. But Camille wouldn’t take no for an answer. Her fiancé, Blake, a lawyer, got on the phone and threatened to sue us if we didn’t comply. I stood firm, citing the contract and the costs involved. Blake fired us on the spot, but I knew the contract had a cancellation clause that would still make them liable for 90% of the payment.
Despite being fired, I instructed my team to continue prepping the food as planned. I had a gut feeling that Camille and Blake would come crawling back. And sure enough, the next morning, Blake called, panicked, demanding that we cater the wedding after all. I quoted him a same-day rate, triple the original price, and told him the menu would be steak. He reluctantly agreed, and we showed up at the venue with the food.
As we set up, Blake started harassing my staff, threatening to have one of them deported. I stood up to him, warning that if he continued, we’d walk out. The rest of the wedding went smoothly, despite the tension. Three weeks later, Blake sued us for “predatory pricing” and “breach of original contract.” But the judge saw right through it and ruled in our favor, ordering Blake to cover our legal fees.
It turned out that Camille and Blake’s marriage didn’t last long. They divorced just a few years after the wedding. Sometimes, karma works exactly as it should. My boss recovered enough to return to work part-time, and when I told him the story, he laughed and joked that maybe he should get sick more often. I just rolled my eyes and warned him not to even think about it.
The experience taught me a valuable lesson about standing up for myself and my team. We didn’t back down, and in the end, justice was served. I’d do it all over again if I had to.
