customer


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cool customer

Someone who remains even-tempered, especially in stressful situations. Brad is such a cool customer. Nothing ever seems to bother him.
See also: cool, customer

an awkward customer

A troublesome person. I don't want Joe to join the club, he's just such an awkward customer.
See also: awkward, customer

the customer is always right

A phrase commonly used in the service or retail industry as a reminder to respect the customer's wishes, and therefore please them, often without regard to how unreasonable they may be. Well, the customer is always right, so if she thinks that her meal is undercooked, make her something else.
See also: always, customer, right

customer is always right

Prov. In order to keep customers happy, the people who serve them should always obey their wishes. (Often cited as a principle of good business dealings; customers sometimes say it to the people serving them in order to try to get good service.) When I began working at the gift shop, my boss told me, "Remember, the customer is always right, no matter how stupid or rude you may think he is being."
See also: always, customer, right

one to a customer

Fig. each person can have or receive only one. (As in sales restrictions where each customer is permitted to buy only one.) "Only one to a customer!" said the chef as he handed out the hamburgers. Is it one to a customer, or can I take two now?
See also: customer, one

slippery customer

 
1. Fig. a clever and deceitful customer. Watch out for that guy with the big padded coat. He may snatch something. He's a real slippery customer.
2. Fig. a slippery creature. This little fish is a slippery customer. Get me something to scoop it back into its bowl.
See also: customer, slippery

tough customer someone

who is difficult to deal with. Some of those bikers are really tough customers. Walt is a tough customer. Just keep away from him.
See also: customer, tough

ugly customer

An ill-natured or vicious individual, as in Watch out for Charlie when he's drinking; he can be an ugly customer. This phrase uses ugly in the sense of "mean" or "dangerous." [c. 1800]
See also: customer, ugly

a tough ˈcustomer/ˈcookie

(informal) a person who knows what they want and is not easily influenced by other people: Self-confident, ambitious and positive, Paula is a tough cookie who is bound to do well.
See also: cookie, customer, tough

tough customer

n. someone who is difficult to deal with. Bruno is a tough customer. Just keep away from him.
See also: customer, tough
References in classic literature ?
said the curious customer, in describing the incident to one of her acquaintances.
Some malevolent spirit, doing his utmost to drive Hepzibah mad, unrolled before her imagination a kind of panorama, representing the great thoroughfare of a city all astir with customers.
To one or two rather officious offers of sympathy, her responses were little short of acrimonious; and, we regret to say, Hepzibah was thrown into a positively unchristian state of mind by the suspicion that one of her customers was drawn to the shop, not by any real need of the article which she pretended to seek, but by a wicked wish to stare at her.
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It isn't fair,' she said, one morning when the rush of customers had ceased and they had the shop to themselves.
Unfortunately, everything had included the customers.
She did not care if a million customers came in, all at the same time.
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She was sitting quite still, for the stream of customers had lessened at this late hour in the afternoon; the gentlemen had chiefly chosen the middle of the day, and Maggie's stall was looking rather bare.
View in context
Among customer interaction options, 83 percent of Dutch customers say they're satisfied with Internet, vs.
World Insurance Report: Customer Satisfaction is No Guarantee of Loyalty
Creating value is still the heart of the CEO agenda," notes John Freeland, managing partner of Accenture's Customer Relationship Management practice.
The customer connection: armed with the knowledge that customers hold the key to their companies' success. CEOs are embracing customer relationship management as a valuable consumer science. (Innovation & the Customer)
A complete customer view also reduces corporate exposure or redundant marketing efforts that waste company resources and may repel customers.
Using customer information effectively. (Data Management)
This is the theme of this year's annual curriculum review: Meeting Customer Requirements.
Meeting customer requirements: DISAM offers tailored on-sites and Mobile Education Teams
Companies understand that Electronic Customer Relationship Marketing (eCRM) has significant potential, but they face the challenge of building the required technology infrastructure quickly and cost effectively.
The Five Engines Of eCRM
Providing value for the customer in exchange for the customer's tax money, fees, tuition, or time (price) is the focus of the market planning exercise.
The Olympic training field for planning quality library services
As a paying customer, one would expect that quality is a fundamental of health care delivery, and an assumed standard of operations.
Creating a positive community image through customer service
We have developed an approach to customer service that we realize is not the only "correct" method of serving customers, but we do believe it works best for our business, and it has naturally evolved over our 35 years of experience in the rubber mixing business.
CM: manufacturing or service industry?
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