Christine Sauers celebrates 20 years as BBB President (Jani Duerr)
submitted by Christine Sauers, president of the BBB of Delaware
Today (12/16/22) I celebrate my 20-year anniversary as president of the Better Business Bureau of Delaware.
I remember clearly my excitement and nerves that first day. Our then chairman, Doug Quaintance of WSFS Bank, met me at the office to help introduce me to the staff and welcome me into the organization.
I was 27 years-old. The rest was a blur.
Fast forward twenty years. I’m now 47, and I’m still excited to show up for work every day.
Over the years, our organization has changed, both locally and nationally. We’ve had our ups and downs like any company. But what hasn’t changed is our mission. We still work to be the leader in advancing trust in the marketplace. Trust is emotional. You can’t see it or touch it, but you know it when you have it or when it’s been broken.
The biggest change is how we deliver on our mission. We still want to deliver the message of trust and integrity, but how we carry that out has changed dramatically. The evolution of our engagement with consumers and businesses has changed the most. We now engage with more people than ever each year through advances in technology. That doesn’t mean we’ve abandoned our face-to-face education and networking, but rather we are using technology to serve more people and businesses. Do we still get complaints? Of course we do. In fact, we will have received 12,000 complaints on Delaware businesses alone this year. Our focus remains on resolving those complaints and educating consumers about how to avoid problems.
Each day brings new challenges, and not one day looks like the day before it. After two decades, I’ve seen plenty of changes and have had even more opportunities to learn. In no particular order, here are a few of my observations:
20 things I’ve learned as BBB President over 20 years
20. Setting accurate expectations on both sides is critical to a good outcome.
19. Making the effort to understand different communication styles across generations is worth the effort!
18. Scams were around 100 years ago, and they still exist. You have not won a Nigerian lottery.
17. Happy customers can be your biggest advocates – and unhappy customers can be your biggest teachers.
16. If it sounds too good to be true—it is. Trust your instincts.
15. Consumers want honesty, transparency, and to be heard.
14. Advances in (and access to) technology have been the biggest game changer for BBB.
13. Sometimes, you do need to sweat the small stuff.
12. The customer isn’t always right (even if he/she is convinced they are!)
11. Nothing compares to the passion of a small business owner.
10. Raise your hand and ask the question—you aren’t expected to know it all.
9. Read (and understand) the fine print.
8. Always remember to get it in writing.
7. Customer feedback has never been more accessible. Consumers can’t wait to share their experiences.
6. Complaints happen. It’s how you deal with them that matters.
5. Relationships in the community have meant everything to our success.
4. Most businesses want to do the right thing.
3. Building trust is more important than ever in business.
2. Our team makes everything worth it.
1. I work for an incredible organization.
I hope my next twenty years teach me as much as the first.