CUSTOMER OR CLIENT?

BUSINESS ENGLISH: CUSTOMER OR CLIENT?

Many of our students ask us about what the difference is between "customer" and "client". In many ways the terms can be used interchangeably but there are slight differences.

A "customer" normally refers to someone who walks into a shop and is looking to buy something (a product). This would be a B2C (business to customer) context.

The term "client" is more closely associated to the world of B2B (business to business) or a more formal business relationship that is likely to be more long term (largo plazo). Client is more commonly used when you are selling a service. An architectural company might have lots of "clients" for example. This could also be the case for a legal practice.

Hope that helps.