Definition
A customer is an individual, household or organization that buys a product.
Sellers often distinguish between end users and resellers, both of which are customers.
A customer of services is referred to as a client.
A customer who repeatedly purchases on a predetermined schedule is referred to as a subscriber. [1]
Customer count is the number of customers that have bought during a specified period of time – a measure of how well a firm is attracting and retaining customers. When computing, avoid double-counting people who made more than one purchase during the period. [1]
The American Marketing Association’s historical definition of customer included “prospective purchasers.” [2] Today, these are more commonly referred to as prospects.
See Also
Consumer
Customer equity
Customer lifetime value
Customer profit
Customer satisfaction
Customer value propositions
Customer-driven innovation
References
- Common Language in Marketing Project, 2022.
- American Marketing Association, AMA Dictionary.