Spotted an interesting discussion online yesterday about the Barbie Café at Chadstone’s social quarter, and it’s got me thinking about one of those modern retail practices that really gets under my skin. Someone noticed they’re operating as card-only but still slapping a surcharge on every transaction - which, if you know anything about ACCC rules, sounds dodgy as hell.

Here’s the thing that frustrates me: we’ve somehow normalised being nickel-and-dimed at every turn. Remember when businesses absorbed their operating costs into their prices like civilised establishments? Now it’s all “convenience fees,” “service charges,” and my personal favourite - surcharges on payment methods that are literally your only option.

The other day, I spotted a peculiar sign at a coastal restaurant that made me do a double-take. A surcharge for every payment method? Not just the usual weekend or public holiday loading, but an additional fee regardless of whether you’re paying by card or cash, any day of the week. Something didn’t add up.

Let’s break down this mathematical creativity: 3% surcharge on weekdays, 10% on weekends, and a whopping 20% on public holidays. All this before you even decide how to pay. It’s like being charged extra for the privilege of… well, being a customer.

The recent discussions about Valve’s remarkable profit-per-employee ratio have sparked some interesting debates in tech circles. While the company’s financial success is undeniable - reportedly generating more profit per employee than Amazon, Microsoft, and Netflix combined - there’s a complex story behind these impressive numbers.

Working in tech, I’ve seen firsthand how different organizational structures can impact both products and people. Valve’s approach is fascinating - maintaining a relatively small core team of 400 employees while leveraging contractors for various projects. The Steam Deck’s development, particularly its Linux-based SteamOS, involved significant collaboration with external partners rather than being purely in-house.