client vs. customer
- Thread starter nessuno
- Start date
nessuno said:
You've pretty much defined the difference correctly. Another way of looking at it is to say that a customer (whether one-time or repeat) is someone you sell things to, whereas a client is someone or something you represent. Of course, the client is technically a customer in that you are selling him something (ongoing service), but the client relationship is the governing factor here; it may also -- and probably does -- involve a contract.
Nick
Can I recommend that you take a look at the English-English dictionary on this website? It will give you definition for both those words and may help you to know in which context each word is used.
Hmm, actually I've just taken a look at the definition of "client" and it's not actually too helpful for you. Sorry about that.
Hmm, actually I've just taken a look at the definition of "client" and it's not actually too helpful for you. Sorry about that.
A customer buys goods - i 'customers' comprarono le cose
A client buys services. - i 'clients' comprarono servizi professionali
HTH/SCSU
Panpan
A client buys services. - i 'clients' comprarono servizi professionali
HTH/SCSU
Panpan
So, if I am a journalist, I should consider those who are buying my services as "clients", and not "costumer", isn't it?
It would be great if there were absolultely hard and fast rules governing these kinds of language choices, but unfortunately there aren't. In the case of a journalist and the news organization that buys the journalist's coverage, I would say that it goes back to the relationship involved: if a journalist sells an occasional story to a newspaper, or shops around for the highest bidder on a story, I would call whoever buys the story a customer (which fits PanPan's definition). However, a journalist not directly employed by the newspaper but in a formal relationship as a stringer, say, covering events in a particular city, submits a story, I would call the newspaper a client, since the journalist is selling the story as part of an ongoing service to the newspaper. Chances are very good that there is an agreement between the parties that gives the newspaper some degree of exclusive rights to the journalist's stories and that gives the journalist some guarantee in regard to price, etc.
Nick
Nick
Thanks nickditoro. In this specific case, the freelance journalist has a long term agreement with the news organization which buys his/her stories. Therefore I'll go for "client". Thanks for fast reply and help.
Hi to everyone, I would like to know the difference between customer and client, because in a legislative text I have simultaneously the terms customer and client
(This is the sentece " A trading desk or other organizational unit of another banking entity is not a client, customer, or counterparty of the trading desk if....")
In this context I understand that the term customer may be the italian "acquirente" and the term client means "cliente"....
(This is the sentece " A trading desk or other organizational unit of another banking entity is not a client, customer, or counterparty of the trading desk if....")
In this context I understand that the term customer may be the italian "acquirente" and the term client means "cliente"....
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Buongiorno a tutti.
Riporto in vita il thread perchè ho un dubbio: io lavoro in un'azienda che fabbrica grossi impianti industriali. Non facciamo un prodotto di serie ma lavoriamo su commessa.
I nostri sono Customers o Clients?
Grazie in anticipo per l'attenzione,
W
Riporto in vita il thread perchè ho un dubbio: io lavoro in un'azienda che fabbrica grossi impianti industriali. Non facciamo un prodotto di serie ma lavoriamo su commessa.
I nostri sono Customers o Clients?
Grazie in anticipo per l'attenzione,
W
There really isn't a huge difference in meaning between "customer" and "client." Panpan provided a great definition/distinction in post #5. "Client" sounds a little classier, so even firms that sell products directly to customers will likely refer to a regular customer (who maybe gets a discount) as a client (since, as nickcitoro suggested in post #2, there's probably a contract).
Grazie mille!