Should a technology consulting company have customers or clients? While it may sound trivial, the distinction has caused heated debate in the world of Enterprise B2B.  Historically it was simple: B2B companies had clients and B2C companies had customers.  But recently B2B companies have realized that focusing on customer success leads to better business results so we’re starting to see a trend of more B2B companies using the word customer over client. 

When we got our first signed contract and launched Tenger Ways, we had to decide: did we get our first client or our first customer?  While not a huge deal, it was something we had to agree on as we started our business.  

This blog explores the different meanings of client and customer and explains how we came to our decision.

Client Vs. Customer Defined

Clients are defined as anyone using the services of a lawyer or other professional person or company. The word client connotates personalized, unique service, and is built on a trusted relationship.  Clients tend to pay a premium for services, and they expect VIP treatment in return.

Customers, on the other hand, are defined as anyone buying goods or services from a business.  The word customer evokes a transactional and impersonal relationship between buyer and seller.  When I buy a cup of coffee at the café, I’m a customer.  I am no different than any of the dozen people in line with me.  I get the same coffee as everyone else.  The company doesn’t treat me differently.  They take my money and go on with their day. 

This traditional distinction between clients and customers is based on the uniqueness of the offering.  The more unique the service or good, the more likely you serve clients, not customers.  The more commoditized your service or good, the more likely you have customers.

Or Do We…?

We successfully landed our first client, but something funny occurred during that first month of business.  I found myself using the word customer interchangeably with client, and hesitating to stick with the word client.  Why is that? Was it because deep down inside I wanted to treat our clients with less personalized service? Of course not.  Something else was going on.  And it has to do with popular culture and the nature of language.  Language is not static.  It’s constantly evolving.  Newer meanings often creep into words long before we realize it and long before our dictionaries and traditions change. 

Traditionally, we think of clients as receiving a unique service and being treated as VIPs, and we think of customers as impersonal and transactional.  But there’s a dark side to the client relationship that isn’t reflected in the dictionary definition.  I’ve worked with many consultants during my 20 years in software engineering and IT and while I’ve had some good experiences, unfortunately I’ve had some frustrating ones as well.  In a typical consulting engagement, the more work consultants do, the more they get paid.  They are incented to keep the relationship going as long as possible and to keep you dependent on them.  This feels deeply wrong, and we are determined to run Tenger Ways as a different type of consultant company.

Customer Doesn’t Have to Mean Impersonal

We Have Customers

Looking at the clarity on value provided axis, all of a sudden, it seems we should want customers not clients.  We aren’t interested in providing consulting services for the sake of billing customers.  There is only one thing we care about: making our customers successful. We’re passionate about using technology to solve problems for our customers and help them create better outcomes for their customers, employees and business. 

Final Decision: Client or Customer?

Our vision for Tenger Ways is a new type of consulting company. One where we bring the values from customer success into the highly personalized world of professional services. Some days we might call you a client.  Other times we might refer to you as a customer.  The truth is it doesn’t matter which words we choose. What matters are the values we live and breathe and act on every day.

Our promise to you:

• You will get the benefit of our proven products and offerings, but with personalized service to ensure our solutions work within your unique context and environment.

• Our definition of success is your success. Whether you call yourself a client or customer, if you are happy, we are happy. We structure our engagements with aligned incentives, which creates win:win scenarios for both you and us.

• We are passionate about helping organizations of all types and sizes use technology to better run their business, but our ultimate goal is to teach you sustainable methods so you don’t need us anymore.

The Ways in Tenger Ways refers to many ways to solve a problem.  Thinking flexibly and different is part of our DNA.  So, while other companies have internal fights over whether everyone has to stick with the word client or customer, we aren’t worried about the labels and instead we’ll double down on making you – our customer and client – successful.

Adrienne Shulman
Founder and Executive Principal
Tenger Ways