Client or customer?
Client or customer?
(OP)
From school memories, client is more used for lawers matters and customer for industrial matters. But seeing it is indiferrently used to designate a customer, I was wondering if it is another English/US wording stuff or anything else
Cyril Guichard
Defense Program Manager
Belgium





RE: Client or customer?
"Client" is used by other professionals such as lawyers, Engineers, and contractors...
"Customer" does have a retail connotation primarily, but, strictly speaking, a Patient and a Client are also customers.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: Client or customer?
Clients have contracts.
- Steve
RE: Client or customer?
In the UK it is about all that was ever evident of the so called "stakeholder economy".
So, for example, rail passengers suddenly discovered they were "customers" instead of passengers or "the fare paying public".
So be prepared to see any such terms increasingly abused.
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: Client or customer?
I understand it's only a matter of wording, but I'm just wanting to know what's everyone's opinion on this question
Cyril Guichard
Defense Program Manager
Belgium
RE: Client or customer?
Bars have customers.
old field guy
RE: Client or customer?
I agree with JMW, though, the marketing people are spreading the word "customer" into areas it has never been before.
Good on y'all,
Goober Dave
RE: Client or customer?
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/customer
"one that purchases a commodity or service"
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/client
"a person who engages the professional advice or services of another "
MacDonald's has "customers"; I have "clients"!
RE: Client or customer?
Even the businesses that commonly use the term "customer" usurp other terms to apply to their customers, such as "guest".
To me, "customer" has a nameless, faceless quality to it. Go through the line, pay your bill, take your bag o' goodies and leave. A "client" on the other hand, is one to be "engaged"...developing a more personal rapport and interaction.
RE: Client or customer?
If you are primarily supplying a product then customer sounds reasonable to me.
If you are primarily supplying a service, or a mixture of the two, I'd think client may work better.
However, I don't think this is hard and fast and would take it case by case.
KENAT,
Have you reminded yourself of FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies recently, or taken a look at posting policies: http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Client or customer?
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: Client or customer?
KENAT,
Have you reminded yourself of FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies recently, or taken a look at posting policies: http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Client or customer?
I have no issue with the wording customer vs client, I just want to make things clear since I see both of them used on this forum (and English is not my mother language, needless to say)
Cyril Guichard
Defense Program Manager
Belgium
RE: Client or customer?
Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
RE: Client or customer?
drawn to design, designed to draw
RE: Client or customer?
Nowadays however, IMO, it's mainly just a class thing. Or put more bluntly ... snobbery. The term Client is used to elevate the customers' and businesses' status to a more 'upscale' sounding term.
Hairdressers in a Salon have clients, Hairdressers in a downtown shop have customers. The difference? About $50.
RE: Client or customer?
Ibertest Internacional S.A.
http://www.ibertestint.com
RE: Client or customer?
Discovering that a particular term was to be found in modern marketing language would be an excellent reason to abandon use of the term, in my opinion!
RE: Client or customer?
If they take part in defining the service that they are buying (e.g. a building design) then they are a client.