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When Ray Tapio opened Avalon Agency Insurance in 1966, no one had ever heard of social media. What they had heard of was customer service and now, 45 years later, his daughter, Cynthia McNamara, 50, is continuing the business by combing the two.
"We've gone from having file cabinets all over the office [to] social marketing on Facebook and Twitter," said McNamara, who is vice president of the agency at 70 Westchester Ave., in Pound Ridge. McNamara sits across from just a few cabinets and in front of a computer, on which she does much of her work.
Avalon Agency Insurance sells everything from home and car insurance to jewelry insurance to worker's comp. McNamara said people are looking at insurance differently these days. Many people simply buy what, at face value, appears to be the cheapest insurance. Yet, she said, this insurance might not be so cheap if it neglects to take into account items such as future earnings.
The agency's president, Terrence McNamara, had some advice on what insurance buyers should know ahead of time. "Build some knowledge," Terrence said, "Find out what it is."
At the end of the day, Cynthia McNamara said, what keeps the company in business is a personal touch. While big companies may rely on automated phone operators and leave customers on hold for a long time, that's never the case at Avalon Agency Insurance, she said.
"You're calling me or you're e-mailing me," she said. "We still offer old-fashioned town service."
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