what is customer

A customer is an individual or business that purchases goods or services from another company or individual via a financial transaction or an exchange for money or some other valuable consideration. Customers are important because they drive revenues, and businesses often closely monitor their customer relationships to identify ways to improve service and products. The terms "customer" and "consumer" are nearly synonymous and are often used interchangeably, but there exists a slight difference. Consumers are defined as individuals or businesses that consume or use goods and services, while customers are the economys purchasers who buy goods. A client is a certain type of customer who purchases professional services from a business.