As they prepare for the next stages of their lives, members of the Brooklyn College Class of 2018 share their thoughts on some of the more complex and challenging aspects of their areas of study. For more on this year’s commencement, visit our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages. Use the #BCGrad2018 hashtag to join the conversation. Dionne Davis is a member of Class of 2018, graduating with a bachelor of science in public accounting, business, management, and finance from Brooklyn College’s Murray Koppelman School of Business. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, the daughter of Trinidadian immigrants. Davis’ road to graduation was a long one. She has been working toward her undergraduate degree for the past 15 years, juggling motherhood, a full-time job, and her own natural beauty products business. Through sheer tenacity, she achieved this goal, and just in time too—she recently received a promotion at her job as an administrator at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Given her experience in working for a large corporation as well as working for herself, Davis discussed what she sees as the responsibility of business owners and an ethical approach to business. “Business owners have an ethical responsibility to provide the customer with the best product and service we can. Too many times, we have heard about a company that has compromised the safety and satisfaction of their customers to gain a few dollars. I say ‘a few dollars,’ but we are talking millions—but compared to what is sacrificed, it seems like a few. It should be the priority of a business owner to view their customers like they would their own family. We only want the best for our family, and we would not intentionally put them in harm’s way, correct? This is our responsibility as business owners. The best way to balance the desire for profit margins, innovation, and integrity would be never to lose the trust of one’s customers and be truthful to yourself and for what you stand. Listening to your customer’s needs is very important—and there is always a need, we just have to find it. Of course, in a capitalist society, we want the most for our buck when it comes to purchases for our business. But we have to understand that in achieving this, the option of failing our customers is not an option at all. We cannot be so determined to gain the maximum profit that we pay the highest price of all: loss of customer trust and confidence. In a time where there is so much distrust between businesses and consumers, transparency is vital to market growth and stability.”
