The words “client”, “customer” and “consumer” are often confused for one another and used interchangeably (especially the first two terms). Many businesses don’t distinguish between the three and don’t really need to either. Whether you are on a tight schedule and have unusual cargo, or you need multiple shipments at a cost-effective price – then UNITHAI can make it happen. UNITHAI is one of the top logistics company in Thailand that are exerienced with oversized cargo and transportation.
However, if you launched a startup or if you’ve been running a small business, and need to plan/determine your business goals and growth, then it’s useful to know the difference. Let’s start with (paraphrased) dictionary definitions:
- Client
Someone who uses the professional services of an individual or company. (Archaic definitions include a dependent or someone under the protection of somebody else.) - Customer
A person who buys goods or services from a business (which includes shops). - Consumer
Someone who buys good and services for their personal use; or someone who eats or uses something.
So what are the connotations of each?
Clients
A “client” implies a long-standing relationship as well as the purchase of services, solutions, advice, etc., from (for example) law firms, marketing agencies and health care. These services and solutions can be personalized and customized for the client.
Businesses should generally aim for clients above all, because with those come ongoing business, loyalty, referrals, brand ambassadors and so forth. Usually a client relationship is deeper, requires more involvement, and is more fruitful.
Customers
A “customer” suggests a one-time sale – like buying something from a grocery store, restaurant, amusement park, etc. However there can be “repeat” customers. It’s usually only focused on an economic exchange: the purchase of goods/products for a fixed price. Customers might also explore various types of services and engage in an exchange.
Consumers
Consumers are usually thought of as the end user – the person who actually uses the product or service. So what’s the difference between a customer and consumer? You can click here now and learn the difference between the two. A parent who purchases diapers from a store is a customer, but their baby (who’ll use the product) is the consumer.
Consumer is more impersonal and often refers to the use of technological products and services (paid or not).
Who makes the distinction and why
Someone involved in real estate, for example, would find the value in differentiating between clients and customers. Nowadays, people involved in business are changing their mindsets regarding these terms, and are focusing on building a client base that requires more attention and better service. Additionally technology, with its advanced CRM systems, allows for deeper customer relationships. In return, clients offer long-term business, and are advocates for product and services.
In the end though, it’s just semantics. Business relationships thrive on mutual respect and benefits, not labels: “It really doesn’t matter if you call your customers customers, as long as you always treat them like clients.”
In certain agencies, such as state and federally funded services for persons with disabilities, the is “consumer” is often used. The word “client” or “patient” implies illness or a mental health status that may or may not we welcome. For example, in the glossary for the CA Regional Centers, it states the definition of consumer:
A consumer is an individual with developmental disabilities who is eligible for regional center services. The term consumer has replaced the prior term “client”. The term consumer denotes not only the individual, but the individual’s authorized representative. Authorized representatives include parents, guardians, and conservators.
Some great insight, Cynthia – thank you.
An amoeba is a consumer. It consumes. That is it’s total existence.
Lawyers have clients. It does not imply a mental health status or criminality or any other such thing. Advertising firms have clients, engineering firms have clients. It only implies reciprocal mutual relationship. When you have a client you SERVE that client. They reciprocate with some consideration either personally or by proxy. A consumer just takes. You think of the relationship of a consumer as only an end user. They only take.
Perhaps that is why you prefer “consumer”: you just think of them as entities that take, and you don’t feel like serving them.
I loathe the word. These humans are so much more than takers – consumers, and give back in so many ways. Foremost, they give back humanity, where materialists merely define things in economic terms.
You know, when I found out that the local IRC started referring to clients as “consumers” it reminded me of how many of the local County agencies keep track of individuals served for an end-of-the-year report. The number of people served justifies budgets. However, served doesn’t necessarily mean that people were helped. So in some instances people are just numbers for a report and not clients. Your explanation makes perfect sense to me. But I don’t see how using a different word to describe them changes a negative attitude. The negative attitude will eventually just become associated with the word “consumer.”
Think about the words that have negative connotations. The words themselves have a valid meaning and were used legitimately. It was the attitude about those words that changed. I think it’s the attitudes that need to change and not the words. But that’s just me.
I agree with this, Duane, 100 percent. As a parent of a daughter with developmental disabilities, I find the use of the term consumer to be horribly degrading.
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Rather than associating the actual word with the context too much and having a subjective opinion on the word that did no wrong, wouldn’t it be much more productive to just accept that words are just a medium of potentially effective mutual understanding, otherwise called communication, and not overthink the possible implications?
Understand that the intended effect is what’s most important.
People who care too much about the language really have the weirdest obsessions about matters that would otherwise be completely inconsequential.
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Is it possible that fathers buy diapers too? I guess things have moved on since 2016
Thanks Julian. I just edited and changed that to parent. You made a good point.