0
Riglos Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Customer VS client?

Hi everybody!

I was wondering whether there was any difference between the words "customer" and "client". If there is, could you explain the different contexts in which we use each one? Are there any collocations or fixed ezpressions?

Thanks a lot!

Mara.
  

Top answer

Hi Mara, Customer Someone who buys goods or services. Also, outside business, someone you have to deal with: My neighbour is a tough/difficult/tricky customer. Client Can be a customer, but more for someone who uses professional services.

  • Hi Mara, Customer Someone who buys goods or services.
  • Also, outside business, someone you have to deal with: My neighbour is a tough/difficult/tricky customer.
  • Client Can be a customer, but more for someone who uses professional services.
  • A lawyer or accountant has clients rather than customers.
  • Best wishes, Clive
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

5 Answers
0
Hi Mara,

Customer Someone who buys goods or services. Also, outside business, someone you have to deal with: My neighbour is a tough/difficult/tricky customer.

Client Can be a customer, but more for someone who uses professional services. A lawyer or accountant has clients rather than customers
0
If not too late to answer your query, I have always understood clients to purchase advice while customers purchase products. It's not a perfect definition, and in addition, when you look at those who sell services - haridressers, interior designers and yes - even prostitutes - they all say that they have clients rather than customers

Jonathan
0
Anonymous - even prostitutes.......
.........who often refer to their customers or clients as "Johns".
0
0 The word "customer" has been adopted in the West as a form of demeaning the professional and high intellect content of technical work. Note that in latin languages there is only one word "client", such languages have the word "consumer" but not the word "customer". The Normans who invaded Britain bringing with them the French language resulted in the more prestigious words being of latin or
0
0Hi,02br
02br
00My goodness, I hope you'll forgive me if I say that your post seems to me rather polemical.02br
02br
00It seems to me that lawyers and accountants come in for their share, if not more, of criticism and lack of respect. 02br
02br
00For example, lawyers often seem to top the list of 'least-liked professions', there are lot

Related Questions