customer

customer
cus|tom|er
W1S1 [ˈkʌstəmə US -ər] n
[Date: 1400-1500; Origin: custom; from the custom of doing business in a particular place]
1.) someone who buys goods or services from a shop, company etc
▪ We aim to offer good value and service to all our customers.
▪ We've had several letters from satisfied customers.
customer service/care
▪ Many of the banks offer a poor level of customer service.
▪ He's one of our regular customers .
best/biggest/largest customer
(=the person or company who uses a shop or company the most)
2.) awkward/tricky/tough etc customer
someone who is difficult to deal with because they behave in a deliberately unhelpful way
→cool customer at ↑cool1 (3)
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WORD CHOICE: customer, client, patron, shopper, consumer
Customer is the most general word. A customer is someone who buys something from a particular shop. People who pay to use something such as a transport service can also be called customers : A customer came in and bought several jackets. |Customers are advised that the next train is delayed.
A client is someone who pays for a service : a hairdresser and her clients
A patron of a particular restaurant, bar etc is someone who eats or drinks there. This is a fairly formal word and it is more usual to use customer : Patrons are asked to refrain from smoking.
A shopper is someone who is involved in the activity of buying things from shops : The street was crowded with shoppers.
A consumer is anyone who pays for goods and services. This word is used especially when you are talking about people's rights : Consumers have a right to know what they are buying.
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Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • customer — cus·to·mer n 1: a person or business that purchases a commodity or service 2 a: a person or entity having an account with a bank or on whose behalf the bank has agreed to collect items b: a person or entity for whom an issuer issues a letter of… …   Law dictionary

  • Customer — Cus tom*er (k[u^]s t[u^]m*[ e]r), n. [A doublet of customary, a.: cf. LL. custumarius toll gatherer. See {Custom}.] [1913 Webster] 1. One who collect customs; a toll gatherer. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] The customers of the small or petty custom and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Customer — organization or person that receives a product (consumer, client, end user, retailer, beneficiary and purchaser) (p. 3.3.5 ISO 9000:2005). Источник …   Словарь-справочник терминов нормативно-технической документации

  • customer — ► NOUN 1) a person who buys goods or services from a shop or business. 2) a person or thing of a specified kind that one has to deal with: he s a tough customer …   English terms dictionary

  • customer — [kus′tə mər] n. [ME < OFr coustumier: see CUSTOM] 1. a person who buys, esp. one who buys from, or patronizes, an establishment regularly 2. Informal any person with whom one has dealings [a rough customer] …   English World dictionary

  • customer — (n.) late 14c., customs official; later buyer (early 15c.), from Anglo Fr. custumer, from M.L. custumarius, from L. consuetudinarius (see CUSTOM (Cf. custom)). More generalized meaning a person with whom one has dealings emerged 1540s; that of a… …   Etymology dictionary

  • customer — [n] buyer of goods, services client, clientele, consumer, habitué, patron, prospect, purchaser, regular shopper; concept 348 Ant. owner …   New thesaurus

  • customer — A designation that refers to segregated clearing member firm trading activity. Customer trading activity and funds may not be combined with non segregated house activity within a clearing member firm. A term which, within the SFA rules, means a… …   Financial and business terms

  • Customer — For the British rock band, see The Clientele. A customer (also known as a client, buyer, or purchaser) is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer or user of the products of an individual or organization, called the supplier, seller …   Wikipedia

  • customer — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ big, favoured/favored (esp. BrE), favourite/favorite (esp. AmE), good, important, key, large, major ▪ They are one of our biggest custom …   Collocations dictionary

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