Mister Brisbane: Self-serve or be served?
Are supermarkets getting you to do their work? Also: a new way to buy petrol
There is something therapeutic about tweeting — that thing about getting something off your chest. It’s even more rewarding when people engage with something you tweet.
That’s what happened when I filed this tweet which followed a trip to the supermarket after my recent overseas holiday (did you miss me?):
I’m doing a supermarket survey so I can get some frequent-flyer points. Once again, I’m telling them how much I dislike self-service checkouts and the increasing push to force us to use them. Am I the only one?
It received a bit of attention and a good handful of replies agreeing with me, saying they prefer a human checkout operator, plus one or two others saying they like doing it themselves.
It also prompted some tangential discussion about QR code menus in pubs.
You can read through, and perhaps add to, the Twitter thread here, and/or tell me your thoughts through the comments, email and other social media.
CONGRATS, COURTNEY
Courtney Stewart has been named artistic director of La Boite theatre. According to a media release, Courtney’s appointment will see her return home to Brisbane from Sydney, where she is a directing associate at Sydney Theatre Company and artistic associate at Contemporary Asian Australian Performance.
Stewart says the chance to lead Australia’s most diverse theatre company presented an unmissable opportunity to return to Queensland.
“I have experienced first-hand La Boite’s commitment to systemic change within the industry and I am honoured to be entrusted with this position at this pivotal time in the company’s history.”
She is the 18th person to hold the position of artistic director at the 97-year-old company, formerly known as Brisbane Repertory Theatre.
FUEL FOR THOUGHT
On my recent trip to the Philippines, I was in the car with a friend when he went to what we call a petrol station. He saved an enormous amount of money filling up his tank because he’d been wise enough to use the “price lock” offered by the retailer SeaOil several months ago. Using the company’s app, he’s able to secure up to 600 litres at the current price to hedge against a rise.
I wonder if any petrol retailer in Australia has considered a similar scheme. It would certainly seem to be a better loyalty incentive than a measly 4-cents-per-litre discount.
(Yes, of course, price lock can work to your disadvantage too. But at least you know what you’re going to pay and can budget for it. And if your locked price is higher than the current price, you can opt just to pay as normal.)
NAME THAT PLANT
While I was away, this plant kicked on in my backyard. Is it a pumpkin vine?
SPEAK TO ME!
There’s now a new way to connect with me. It’s called SpeakPipe and you can leave an audio message. Please note that I reserve the right to use that audio on podcasts and blogs, and to edit it for reasons including context, accuracy and brevity.
Thanks to Peter for sending me this link about a little-known monument that I failed to note on my drive to the new Brisbane International Cruise Terminal.