Every time I’ve set foot in Byron’s Mitre 10 over the last twenty years I’ve been treated to a masterclass in service. Richard, Tim, Kim, Dave… it’s a long list of knowledgeable, dedicated, user-friendly staff who were eager to understand my problem, to workshop it, and then offer products to make a solution happen. As a sole trader and handyman I can’t stress enough how invaluable that service has been to my operation.
Given much of my work has been on the Suffolk side of Byron, the positioning of that store has been gold in that I rarely had to battle with the Ewingsdale Road shitfight. Sadly, the loss of Mitre 10, combined with an already unworkable Byron industrial estate, combined with the abhorrent development that is West Byron, will necessarily send many of us to Ballina’s industrial estate; a tribute to good town planning.
Whilst lamenting the upcoming, forced passing of Mitre 10, an integral part of this town’s fabric, it made me think of our beloved corporations, and their uncanny knack of decimating good service. Some time ago I needed to buy some seafood from Woollies. Whilst pointing to a product on display, I said to the young dude serving me, ‘Hey mate, where’s that fish from?’, to which he replied, ‘From the freezer out the back’. It was certainly comforting to know that the fish had been frozen, but I was none the wiser as to whether it had been caught in Ballina or Brazil, unlike fish-shop-Freckle who could tell you the name, address and sexual orientation of every fish in his shop.
So to James, Lisa and all your fabulous staff, a massive thank you for what you have done for myself, and for many, many others in this town. All the best for your future. Maybe you could take over the fish department in Woollies?
