customer
n. countablen. a person who buys goods or services from a shop or business. You are a customer when you pay for a coffee or buy clothes.
n. a person or entity that purchases goods or services from a business. Often used in a commercial context to distinguish the buyer from the end-user.
The shop was full of customers during the sale.
Our goal is to provide excellent service so that every customer leaves the store feeling satisfied.
Retaining an existing customer is often more cost-effective for a business than the marketing efforts required to acquire a new one in a competitive market.
From Middle English custumer, from Old French coustumier, costumier (compare modern French coutumier), from Medieval Latin custumarius (“a toll-gatherer, tax-collector”, noun), from custumarius (“pertaining to custom or customs”, adjective), from custuma (“custom, tax”). More at custom. By surface analysis, custom + -er.
Commonly used with the verbs 'serve', 'attract', or 'satisfy'.
The shop has many clients.The shop has many customers.Use 'customer' for people buying goods in a shop; 'client' is reserved for professional services like lawyers or consultants.