Customer VS client?

Question

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.

Clive · Accepted 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. A lawyer or accountant has clients rather than customers.

Best wishes, Clive

Anonymous · Answer

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

Philip · Answer

Anonymous - even prostitutes.......

.........who often refer to their customers or clients as "Johns".

Anonymous · Answer

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 origin. Hence, in UK English, it sounds more educated to say "illumination" rather than "lighting" and there are many similar examples. One of these is the word "client" which is more upmarket than the word "customer".02br
00So for example the professions which are protected by law such as law, accountancy or some which are considered more important in the UK such as marketing use the word "client". The "dirty" professions of engineering and technical know-how are constantly degraded by being asked to use the word "customer". When something is dumbed down or productized then the word "customer" comes in, whereas when something is a "one off" or "difficult" then the more upmarket word "client" comes into play.02br
00It is in fact ridiculous because technical subjects are much harder than law or accountancy, but the word "customer" serves the purpose of keeping the technical professions in check and subservient to the ones which handle administration or money. It is a shame and probably since Mrs Thatcher the reason why robotics, specialist manufacturing and so on have moved to the Far East. The English language is a powerful tool. 0-

Clive · Answer

0Hi,02br
02br
00My goodness, I hope you'll forgive me if I say that your post seems to me rather polemical.02br
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00It seems to me that lawyers and accountants come in for their share, if not more, of criticism and lack of respect. 02br
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00For example, lawyers often seem to top the list of 'least-liked professions', there are lots of lawyer jokes, lawyers are reported to have 'bilked their 01i01u00clients'.02u02i02br
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00Similarly, accountants tend to be treated as unimaginative figures of fun, eg references to them as mere 'bean-counters', or the well-known Monty Python sketch about a dull accountant who wants to be a lion-tamer and knows all about the tax write-offs involved. 02br
02br
00Best wishes, Clive0-

Customer VS client?

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