Man asked baker for the 'lifespan' of banoffee pie — the email he received is top-notch comedy

Humor never goes out of style and is often a great conversation starter or ice-breaker. Everyone appreciates a little laugh and banter, and it really brings out lightheartedness in every situation. In our hustling, exhausting world, we could really use some of it. Think of a simple customer query… your ideal response would be professionalism, perfect English, and tone. However, Rich Myers (@getbakedrich), founder of Get Baked and author, took a hysterical approach with a customer on December 9. When asked via email about the lifespan of his freshly baked banoffee pie, he ensured he gave his customer the details, but with a very humane twist. 

The email query read, “Bought a slice of banoffee pie from you today but not eating it yet. What’s the lifespan of it, please?” Myers was tasked with responding to the customer, but he decided to do it exceptionally. He used the perfect email format, great English, and even a friendly tone; this man knew what he was up to. However, he didn’t want to make the email boring, bland, and regular. So he said, “The lifespan of a Banoffee Pie depends on how well you look after it." He continued, “Left in a fridge, an average Banoffee will live a peaceful life of 2-3 days before quietly accepting its fate.” 

Myers also wanted to let his customer know that there are conditions about the lifespan of the said pie, but telling him that straightforwardly was a boring option. Instead, he said, “If you take it out, talk to it or let it watch TV, it can form attachments and may cling on for a little longer.” He then added something many foodies might actually agree with. “If, at any point, you make eye contact with it or whisper things like, ‘I can’t wait to eat you,’ its remaining life expectancy drops to around nine minutes due to stress.” The baker was also kind enough to leave a note to maintain the pie. 

“For best results, store in the fridge and reassure daily with kind phrases such as, ‘You’re safe,’ or, ‘No one’s coming for you.’ Obviously, this is a lie, but it keeps the caramel steady,” he noted. Sharing an even more hilarious conclusion, he said, “If your Banoffee begins to show signs of attachment disorder — refusing to chill, humming softly, or trying to follow you from shelf to shelf, do not panic. Gently rotate the pie to 90 degrees and say, ‘Not today.’” A meticulous email, some would say, but not this customer. His reply was, “I’m confused. By when do I need to eat it?” 

Myers had no option but to then send a straightforward email, “Sorry, I found your use of the term ‘lifespan’ to be absolutely f**king wonderful. So I pretended the Banoffee pie was sentient (it’s not).” He let him know in one statement that eating the delicacy is best the day it was bought, but even up to three days later is fine. “Sometimes I forget how much I love customers and then they email me stuff like this, and I remember that I don’t love them that much but all in all they’re pretty sound really,” he wrote in his caption. But is this banter in business really a good idea?  

Psychologist Bernardo J. Carducci, Ph.D., of Indiana University Southeast, noted, “Every relationship or major business deal started with a tiny conversation,” per Our Corporate Life. The latter stems from simple initiation and banter. Adrien Nhem, co-founder at Screendesk, noted that there are more pros to humor in conversing than there are cons. A few he mentioned were shifting mood, creating memorable experiences, being approachable, and making a good image. Clearly, the internet loved Myers’ approach. @gemma_350 said, “Man, your reply was absolutely wasted on that customer.” @watsonrob added, “I think the banoffee pie is more sentient than that person asking the question.” @onangelswings remarked, “If I had received that response, I would have giggled my head off while instantly shortening the life span of the banoffee pie.” 

You can follow Rich Myers (@getbakedrich) for more content on business and humor. 

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