Latest news with #BronteLang
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Aussie's phone act is blasted as 'weird' by her friends - but thousands agree it's just basic etiquette: 'Manners are dead'
In the age of texting, emojis and missed calls, one Aussie woman has stirred up a storm for simply using what she believes is good old-fashioned phone etiquette. Bronte Lang, from Sydney, revealed she always introduces herself by name when making a phone call - even for something as casual as booking a table at a restaurant. 'Hi, my name is Bronte. I'm just wondering if you have a table for two tonight,' she said in the video, adding, 'I think it's common courtesy.' But not everyone agrees on what courtesy looks like in 2025. Her friends told her the habit was 'weird,' insisting that saying your name upfront isn't necessary unless it's relevant. Bronte's TikTok quickly went viral, reigniting the age-old question: what counts as polite these days? Etiquette, once governed by handwritten letters and carefully timed phone calls, now finds itself in a grey area. For some, saying your name is a small sign of respect. For others, it's unnecessary fluff in a world used to quick, efficient communication. In Bronte's case, even introducing herself in person at stores like JB Hi-Fi raised eyebrows among her friends, who said it felt oddly formal. The online response? Fiercely divided. Some praised Bronte for her old-fashioned manners, while others, especially those who work in customer service, were less convinced. 'Bronte is correct and polite,' one user commented, applauding her efforts to bring back phone etiquette in an age of anonymous DMs and emoji-heavy chats. 'As a receptionist, why are you telling me your life story before telling me who I'm even speaking to?' one person wrote. Another added, 'Nope. Unless your name is relevant - like calling about an account or something - they don't care what your name is.' Several workers in call centres and front desks chimed in, revealing that early-name-givers tend to confuse the flow of the call. 'My job is taking calls, and when people say who they are before asking what they want, it feels like I'm expected to know who they are,' someone admitted. Still, others passionately defended Bronte's approach - especially those who grew up before texting became the norm. 'This is the difference between people who grew up on the phone and people who grew up with texting,' one user wrote. 'It takes 0.5 seconds to say your name. It's polite.' Even a call centre worker weighed in, saying, 'I LOVE when people say their names at the start! It's just polite to let the other person know who they're talking to.' Others noted that context was key. 'It depends what it's for. A restaurant? I wouldn't, because it's not relevant. But like a medical appointment? Yes - I'd start with my name for context so they can start pulling my file up.' Many agreed that while saying your name on the phone can be helpful, saying it in person, like when you're asking where the HDMI cables are in JB Hi-Fi, may be pushing it. 'It's common phone etiquette. Not an in-person thing though,' someone summarised.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Woolworths ‘snob' reveals $70 a week reason why she now shops at Aldi: ‘Wanted to cry'
A loyal Woolworths customer has shared why she made the switch to Aldi and how much money she is now saving. Grocery costs are top of mind for many Australian households right now, as many see their weekly supermarket bill going up and up. Bronte Lang admitted she used to be a 'Woolies snob', but slowly transitioned to shopping at Aldi. The 26-year-old marketer and content creator told Yahoo Finance she was initially enticed by Aldi's Special Buys and, when a store opened up down the road from her, she decided to give the German discount chain a try. 'At Woolies, we were consistently paying about $250, which is what kind of made us make the switch because every time we had a grocery shop, we just kind of wanted to cry a bit,' she said. RELATED Woolworths customer's secret to getting 'free money' every time she shops: 'Earned $1,400' Aussie couple loses $170,000 house deposit over to two-letter error: 'Changed everyone's lives' Rare Aussie banknotes worth up to $19,500 The Sydney woman said her and her partner switched to Aldi about a year ago and have noticed their grocery bill has gone down. 'I do find it is cheaper,' she said. 'I do feel like you can get a lot more meat for your money, I would say that's the biggest thing, is meat is a lot cheaper. 'And just smart swaps. I really don't need the brand name of something when you can get the same thing at Aldi, particularly your home products like cleaning products, toilet paper, all that kind of stuff, you get it cheaper and it's the same product.' Lang said they were now spending about $180 per week on average on their groceries since switching to Aldi and shopping smarter. 'That covers all of our breakfast, lunch and dinner,' she told Yahoo Finance. The couple still goes to Woolies to pick up various bits and pieces. For example, they prefer the Mexican seasoning and products on offer from Woolies over Aldi. 'There are certain things where I still need to go to Woolies for,' she said. 'The convenience for us is our local supermarket has Aldi and Woolies, so we literally start downstairs at Aldi and then we go upstairs to Woolies to get whatever we couldn't get at Aldi.' Lang has been sharing videos online of her weekly grocery shops, including what she buys and how much it costs. Some Aussies shared that they had also made the switch. 'Aldi is just better and cheaper,' one said. 'Aldi all the way but we go to the butchers for meat now and they have better specials,' one wrote. Others said they were thinking of trying out the discount chain. 'I'm a Woolies girl through and through, butttt my bank account is telling me I need to go to Aldi,' one said. 'These comments have convinced me I need to shop at Aldi!' another said. Lang said she found the quality of the meat and produce at Aldi was similar to Woolworths and the couple 'honestly don't see a difference' and thought it was 'just as good'. It's not just Lang who has found Aldi to be a cheaper option. CHOICE's government-funded supermarket price report found Woolworths was $15.98 more expensive than Aldi for a basket of 14 essential items, including milk, butter, bread, pasta, mince and fresh fruit and vegetables. Coles was $15.48 more expensive, while IGA was $23.54 more. Aldi has said its smaller range is one reason why it's able to offer cheaper prices to its competitors. It told the consumer watchdog it carried a range of only 1,800 items. That's compared to Coles and Woolies, where you can choose between 20,000 and 25,000 products. The chain also doesn't offer online shopping or have a footprint in Tasmania or the Northern Territory. The number of staff it employs are also lower, along with the stores themselves, compared to the two supermarket giants. Grocery spending reached a record high in January, Finder found, with the average household reporting spending $209 per week. That was up from $188 per week in January last year. Four in five Aussies said they were taking steps to cut their grocery bills, including 39 per cent who were switching to cheaper brands and 32 per cent who were shopping at multiple stores to find the best deals. "Grocery shopping is no longer a simple task you do each week – it's become a strategic exercise in cost-cutting for many Australians,' Finder personal finance expert Sarah Megginson said. Along with shopping at Aldi and switching to home brand products, Lang said she was saving money by meal planning and meal prepping. 'We don't really eat out a lot, or if any, during the week, which does save a lot of money,' she said. 'And just smart swaps, like buying a kilo of chicken for $10 [at Aldi]. That's such an easy dinner and it's so cheap.'Sign in to access your portfolio
