The last remaining NRMA agency in Byron Shire is closing its doors on March 31.
According to owners, Warren and Dennise Simmons, NRMA does not consider the agency financially viable, with the increasing volumes of online sales and transactions.
Dennise told The Echo, ‘They have closed many agencies around the state – including us’.
Road service breakdown and towing services will not be affected, the couple say, but for personal one-on-one NRMA insurance and member services, customers will now have to travel to Ballina or Tweed.
For approximately 50 years, the Byron Bay agency has been under the ownership of the Simmons’, and was initially run from the Golden Fleece/Caltex Service Station, and then from its own office, opposite the police station, in Byron Bay.
‘There will be a (sad) celebration held throughout the last trading day’, Dennise said.
‘We would like to thank our local customers, and those who have supported us over so many years’, she added.
‘We are planning to have coffee and cake during the morning, and “other refreshments” in the afternoon. We officially go “off the air” Friday 31, at 3pm’.
Invitation
‘We would like to extend an invitation to our customers to call in, and farewell our valued and loyal staff: Wayne, Noel and Nigel, who have been with us for a combined total of approximately 100 years.
‘A massive effort for any local business’.
As time goes by….. Sad day to see some local faces losing their jobs. I,for one, preferred to walk in for a face to face insurance consultation, rather than complete the transaction online. Was always greeted with top notch customer service. Last few years I enjoyed it even more just to see some local faces. End of an era. Thanks for the memories and good luck for the future.
I always make a point to go to the NRMA office and every other Govt department or business and pay in cash, if there is no office, the post office and pay in cash. It requires locally employed staff and a local bank to deposit the days takings.
As people keep on using on line services and cards we will see the gradual loss of all these type of jobs and shop front services!
Especially in our regional areas.
We really need some Govt legislation to stop the corporate greed that has been cranked up, resulting in the massive inflation we are seeing now, especially by the insatiably greedy multi-billion dollar bank industry, that are closing branches and absolutely gouging it’s customers simply because they can. Perhaps a bust up of all these corporate, retail, media, banking and insurance monopolies would be the answer.