Customer

A customer is a person or an institution that shows an obvious interest in the contract for the acquisition of a product or a service to a company or an institution.

The DIN EN ISO 8402 defines customer as " recipient of a product provided by the supplier ," is mentioned in the context of a contract situation, principals. Once the business will come about and completed by contract or payment and transfer of ownership, the customer becomes a buyer.

A distinction is made between private and business customer Customer: A consumer in terms of § 13 BGB is any natural person who concludes a legal transaction for a purpose that is neither commercial nor an independent vocational activity may be attributed.

Word origin

Old High German Chundo means " acquaintance " (next chundeo "witness" ) and retained the meaning " which is known to the known, the locals, the confidant " in also in Middle High German. Only in the Early New High German of the 16th century the use of the in the initial phase, established nor as regularly recurring, that is, as the seller "known" featured clients of an inn, a merchant, a craftsman, or any other business unit. Also already in Early New time came that generalizing colloquial uses with meanings like " guy ", " buddy ".

Tramp

Since the 19th century (1828 ) the word customer is assigned with the special meaning "wandering journeyman, beggars, vagrants " in slang. This will be followed using the Rotwelschforschung since the 19th century, the terms client's language and customer song for the special language of words and songs of this group of speakers, while in the language of speaker group itself since 1906 they call themselves customers sound is busy and especially the Rhenish dictionary the term customer's language in general for special linguistically - rotwelschen vocabulary in the Rhenish language area without special assignment to a socially defined group of speakers used.

Customer loyalty

As customers also individuals or institutions are referred to when these unique transactions may have with a supplier or a business have shown interest. So consider, for example, car dealers usually also those people as customers who have only ever bought a car from them, being behind the expectation is that this again opt for a vehicle of the same brand or possibly spare parts demand more. Shipping companies consider people as customers if they have them at once ordered or shown increased business interests, because it is expected also with an increased likelihood of repeat business.

Includes customer with the supplier for the first time a contract, he is from the perspective of the supplier a new customer. Does he have with the supplier ever signed a contract, he is a Altkunde or existing customer. Has he more often or regularly closed a contract with the supplier, he is a regular customer.

Euphemisms

The term customer is sometimes used colloquially to people or institutions who have no real interest in a contract or collaboration. For example, calls the police suspect or suspects in some contexts, their ' clients ' or ' customers ', referring regularly encountered the same problems people / groups, or public administration calls applicant of its ' customers '. In both cases, however, it is in the real sense not to 'Customer ': cooperation in these cases is usually not voluntary, often no alternative. This is especially true when it comes to acts of sovereignty. In all these cases there are indeed other common terms (such as ' suspect ', ' witness ' or ' applicant '), but which are sometimes negative connotations. With the development of new management instruments in the public sector and the discussions of the so-called New Public Management concept of customer wins in the strict sense but also increasingly important. Executives and employees of public administrations and businesses to align their activities with respect to the addressee at the (right - ) state requirements and individual needs.

Control

When operating a large number of customers, it is sometimes expedient to control their distribution within the plant. This can also be automated systems, such as call systems are used.