Customer Vs. Client.

K2

I think if you called someone in my age group, in my area, a "client" they would find that a little comical. I think if my plumber called me a "client" I would be checking to see if my wallet was still in my back pocket.

Gordo

'Round here a client is some one that calls and says, "When you get the time can you come over and (whatever task)." No talk about cost.
These are the repeats that trust you.

I prefer to have clients.

Sounds more professional, IMO.

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Looks like some pros were here.

mdshunk

I think that the line between "customer" and "client" is some arbitrary figure that seperates your average customers from your "trophy" customers. For me, a "client" would either be a long time repeat customer, or a customer who I'm doing more than 50K worth of work for at one shot. It really doesn't matter what you call them. They all get treated equally well.

RobertCDF

Thats odd Rob... I call most of my people clients. I think it sounds better than customer.

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K2

I know. But Target calls me a "Guest".

It's just a problem with getting old. I won't tell you about the other problems.

starts with an 'F'

Teetorbilt

Main Entry: cus·tom·er
Pronunciation: 'k&s-t&-m&r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English custumer, from custume
1 : one that purchases a commodity or service
2 : an individual usually having some specified distinctive trait <a real tough customer>

Main Entry: cli·ent
Pronunciation: 'klI-&nt
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French client, from Latin client-, cliens; perhaps akin to Latin clinare to lean -- more at LEAN
1 : one that is under the protection of another : DEPENDENT
2 a : a person who engages the professional advice or services of another <a lawyer's clients> b : CUSTOMER <hotel clients> c : a person served by or utilizing the services of a social agency <a welfare client> d : a computer in a network that uses the services (as access to files or shared peripherals) provided by a server

Does anyone see a major difference? 'Client' is used most often here.

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dougchips

We use the term customer in house, when we are at a customers house, we use the term client. However if we are talking to a potential client, we might say "we have several customers that you can call for references", so in the past tense they are customers. I think that "client" is a more formal term, however clients relate more to the term "customer". Rob asked a really great question and Teetor gave the best answer

K2

Cool, whatever, now I have "accounts" and that seems to pay the most money. But I still can't seem to get into the chat room.

Tom R

Customers pay me, - - clients support me . . .

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K2

clients support me . . .

My x-wife is a client then. Got it.

Mike Finley

Okay, it's totally official. We must have talked through ever conceivable topic if we are now discussing the difference between customer and client! The funniest part is we are actually taking it very seriously.

Tis funny, no? Maybe only to me? I find it very amusing.

joasis

In the politically correct times we are in, in Oklahoma, my wife does not deal with cons, ex-cons, parolees, or probationers....they are clients.
I never refer to my customers as clients, but that is me, and it really doesn't make a bit of difference.

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Double-A

Food? Have you tried dentures?

I started using client when I was plumbing. The point then was to try to elevate the trade somewhat and get the client/customer to start seeing plumbers as trained professionals and not just some buttcrack with pipe wrench.

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New York Times, July 20, 2006

ProWallGuy

Not much of a difference between the 2 for me, but I kinda go in line with what MD said. In my customer database, homeowners are in the group labeld customers. Once I've done more than one job for them, they get put into the group of repeat customers. Clients are a group that has the potential to feed me steady work, including designers, GC's, architects, etc.

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mahlere

reverse that?

alter_ego

To me client is a little more clinical, when I refer to past customers thats usually what I call them, though I might call them clients if I were trying to bigdog a lender or something like that but not to my customers.

my .02

Melissa

Yeah, I was going to ask, what she does for a living that she supports him- Doctor? Lawyer? Pop Singer?

Leo G

I consider a customer someone who walks into a store to buy something. I think a client is someone who you will be dealing with directly. You will need to answer questions and refer to your knowledge of the appropriate business. A customer is someone who is going to buy something off the shelf while a client has his/her own ideas of what they want and will need to discuss those with you.

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maj

Well put !!!!

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theworx

I deal 90% with commercial and call them clients. Even my 10% of residential are considered clients. Like said earlier, customers are people who are out shopping for something in a store. They are not someone who has hired you to do a job for them. As soon as they hire you, they are a client...