customern.
/ˈkʌstəmə/, U.S. /ˈkəstəmər/ 1. (The title of) a person who is responsible for the levying and collection of customs duties in a particular port, region, etc.; a person whose job is to collect such duties and prevent illegal or contraband goods from entering or leaving a country; a customs officer. Now historical.In some instances the customer leased the permission or authority to levy customs duties from the monarch or government of a country, and retained (a part of) the revenues raised.
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society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > impost, due, or tax > duty on goods > imposition or collecting of duties on goods > [noun] > collector of duty on goods
tollerc1000
tolnerc1050
toll-gatherer1382
customer1389
toll-reeve1433
pennytollerc1450
toll-taker1555
toll-farmer1556
publicana1563
custom officer1644
exciseman1647
toll-mastera1649
custom house officer1654
toll-customera1681
customs officer1705
hoppo1711
ride officer1799
toll-collector1822
excisor1835
customs agent1838
custom-houser1865
1389 in C. Innes Liber Sancte Marie de Melros (1837) 449 Robert..Chambirlayn of Scotland, to the custumers of the Grete Custume of..Edynburgh, Hadynton, and Dunbar greting.
a1399 in W. G. Benham Oath Bk. Colchester (1907) 10 (MED) A custumer no schal nouȝt takyn of no man for non vitayles to his houshold, no to arayment of hys body.
1449 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VI (Electronic ed.) Parl. Feb. 1449 §19. m. 6 Every custumer, countroller, sercheour and surveiour.
1487 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VII (Electronic ed.) Parl. Nov. 1487 §34. m. 12 The custumer or comptroller of the same porte.
1509 A. Barclay Brant's Shyp of Folys (Pynson) f. xxii He shall be made a comon costomer..of Lyn Calays or of Depe.
1548 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. I. Mark ii. f. 22 Sitting at the receipt of custome, for he was a publicane or customer.
1609 J. Skene tr. Regiam Majestatem 152 Custumers of the litill custum (that is, of gudes cumand to the market).
1641 J. Whitelocke Learned & Necessary Argument Propriety Goods 51 A Monopolie to Master Smith the Customer of London, for the ingrossing of all Allomes into his owne hands, for which priviledge he gave a voluntary imposition upon that commodity.
a1642 W. Bedell in T. Fuller Abel Redevivus (1651) 62 All the gold he brought with him..except five pounds, was seazed..by the Customers [at Dover].
1748 St. James's Evening Post No. 5982 Lord Petersham..to be Customer, Collector, etc., in the Port of Dublin.
1838 J. Greenwood Analyt. Digest Rep. Cases Courts Common Law & Equity 497/2 The power given by charter to license, &c. in all places where the customer of Hull had authority to take custom.
1884 J. H. Wylie Hist. Eng. Henry IV I. iv. 58 Great loss..occasioned to the revenue..was attributed chiefly to the appointment of incompetent persons as customers or controllers.
1934 W. W. Gill Manx Dial. ii. 42 Customer, an old name for a Customs Officer.
1981 M. Lynch Edinb. & Reformation vi. 112 Curle had been appointed custumar in 1560.
2.
a. A purchaser of goods or services. In early use: spec. a person who regularly purchases from a particular business.Now the usual sense.
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society > trade and finance > buying > buyer > [noun] > customer or client
customer1409
callant1502
patron1607
commercer1654
merchant1673
client1833
mark1935
punter1965
1409 in M. Sellers York Memorandum Bk. (1915) II. 177 (MED) It is ordand that no man of the sayd crafte take no hors for to sho or hele of no man that is customer to any of the sayd crafte, and he haf knawlege that the said customer awe any monee to the tother man.
a1483 in J. T. Smith & L. T. Smith Eng. Gilds (1870) 317 To wt-draw from yor M., ne from no brother of þe craft, any of ther costomers.
?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. xxxvi I say to my customers: and those yt bye any horses of me.
1592 R. Greene Thirde Pt. Conny-catching sig. E3 His shop very well frequented with Customers.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) iv. iv. 193 No Milliner can so fit his customers with Gloues. View more context for this quotation
1725 D. Defoe Compl. Eng. Tradesman I. viii. 102 Parcels fit to fill their shops, and invite their customers.
1834 T. Medwin Angler in Wales I. 222 The alehouse..had neither customers nor host.
1863 H. Fawcett Man. Polit. Econ. ii. x. 280 The shareholders of the society form a nucleus of customers.
1917 A. S. Weiant Guinea Fowl (U.S. Dept. Agric. Farmers' Bull. No. 858) 4 Guinea raisers..who have developed a trade among private customers receive prices that make this industry very profitable.
1939 Fortune Oct. 80/2 (caption) Most customers are in the low income groups.
1979 Washington Post (Nexis) 23 July b5 Dealers have been known to make small fortunes with extras and customers can be misled by the lure of added attractions.
1993 R. Shell iCED 244 Pia flung machete glares at me as she finished serving a customer.
2014 C. Tóibín Nora Webster xii. 162 The customer is the boss here, ma'am.
b. A person who uses a service offered or provided by a professional person or a business; a client. In early use esp. with reference to the sexual services provided by courtesans or prostitutes. Also in extended use.Sometimes difficult to distinguish from sense 2a.
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the mind > language > speech > request > [noun] > one who requests or petitions
callerc1503
customer1542
entreater1588
importunate1642
1542 N. Udall tr. Erasmus Apophthegmes i. f. 55 The reporte goeth that Aristippus was a customer of one Lais a veray notable mysliuyng woman.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) iv. iv. 61 You Minion you, are these your Customers ? View more context for this quotation
1639 J. Ford Ladies Triall v. sig. I3 I foster a decoy [sc. a strumpet] here, And she trowles on her ragged customer, To cut my throat for pillage.
1762 T. Smollett Adventures Sir Launcelot Greaves II. xvii. 104 He sent for the attorney of the village, to whom he had been a good customer.
1803 W. Taylor in Ann. Rev. 1 384 The customers of a banker can desert to a rival at will.
1882 Cent. Mag. Mar. 772/2 The bank as an institution is liable to its stockholders, to its customers, and to the Government for this amount.
1966 T. Wisdom High-performance Driving xvi. 136 The driving-school customer is interested only in passing the test.
1993 Which? Aug. 48/2 NHS customers are more likely to be told about these devices and to be referred to lip-reading classes or other support services.
2005 Washington Post (Nexis) 23 Feb. e1 It is..gospel among corporate lawyers that when customers call up with ideas for new products.., the standard procedure should be to thank them for their interest and quickly hang up.
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society > law > legal right > right of possession or ownership > [noun] > acquisition of title by long use > one who
customer1440
usucapient1875
usucaptor1880
Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 111 Custummere, custumarius, usucaptor.
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society > society and the community > social relations > association, fellowship, or companionship > a companion or associate > [noun]
yferec870
brothereOE
ymonec950
headlingOE
ferec975
fellowOE
friendOE
eveningOE
evenlinglOE
even-nexta1225
compeerc1275
monec1300
companiona1325
partnerc1330
peerc1330
neighbour?c1335
falec1380
matec1380
makec1385
companya1425
sociatec1430
marrow1440
partyc1443
customera1450
conferec1450
pareil?c1450
comparcionerc1475
resortc1475
socius1480
copartner?1504
billy?a1513
accomplice1550
panion1553
consorterc1556
compartner1564
co-mate1576
copemate1577
competitor1579
consociate1579
coach-companion1589
comrade1591
consort1592
callant1597
comrado1598
associate1601
coach-fellow1602
rival1604
social1604
concomitanta1639
concerner1639
consociator1646
compane1647
societary1652
bor1677
socius1678
interessora1687
companioness1691
rendezvouser1742
connection1780
frater1786
matey1794
pardner1795
left bower1829
running mate1867
stable companion1868
pard1872
buddy1895
maat1900
bro1922
stable-mate1941
bredda1969
Ndugu1973
a1450 in M. Sellers York Memorandum Bk. (1912) I. 66 (MED) Whylk of us hafe a customer wyrkand wyth hym, of what craft so ever he be, and awe hym mony for hys werk, and..wyll noght pay it [etc.].
1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue ii. x. sig. Liii To his accustomed customers he gat.
1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VI f. cliij The wagoner came to the gate, called the porter..The porter (whiche wel knew the voice of his customer).
1621 R. Montagu Diatribæ Hist. Tithes 2 Lazy ignorance, or patient idlenesse, the common customers of the clergy.
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society > morality > moral evil > licentiousness > unchastity > prostitution > [noun] > a prostitute
meretrixOE
whoreOE
soiled dovea1250
common womanc1330
putec1384
bordel womanc1405
putaina1425
brothelc1450
harlot?a1475
public womanc1510
naughty pack?1529
draba1533
cat1535
strange woman1535
stew1552
causey-paikera1555
putanie?1566
drivelling1570
twigger1573
punka1575
hackney1579
customer1583
commodity1591
streetwalker1591
traffic1591
trug1591
hackster1592
polecat1593
stale1593
mermaid1595
medlar1597
occupant1598
Paphian1598
Winchester goose1598
pagan1600
hell-moth1602
aunt1604
moll1604
prostitution1605
community1606
miss1606
night-worm1606
bat1607
croshabell1607
prostitute1607
pug1607
venturer1607
nag1608
curtal1611
jumbler1611
land-frigate1611
walk-street1611
doll-common1612
turn-up1612
barber's chaira1616
commonera1616
public commonera1616
trader1615
venturea1616
stewpot1616
tweak1617
carry-knave1623
prostibule1623
fling-dusta1625
mar-taila1625
night-shadea1625
waistcoateera1625
night trader1630
coolera1632
meretrician1631
painted ladya1637
treadle1638
buttock1641
night-walker1648
mob?1650
lady (also girl, etc.) of the game1651
lady of pleasure1652
trugmullion1654
fallen woman1659
girlc1662
high-flyer1663
fireship1665
quaedama1670
small girl1671
visor-mask1672
vizard-mask1672
bulker1673
marmalade-madam1674
town miss1675
town woman1675
lady of the night1677
mawks1677
fling-stink1679
Whetstone whore1684
man-leech1687
nocturnal1693
hack1699
strum1699
fille de joie1705
market-dame1706
screw1725
girl of (the) town1733
Cytherean1751
street girl1764
monnisher1765
lady of easy virtue1766
woman (also lady) of the town1766
kennel-nymph1771
chicken1782
stargazer1785
loose fish1809
receiver general1811
Cyprian1819
mollya1822
dolly-mop1834
hooker1845
charver1846
tail1846
horse-breaker1861
professional1862
flagger1865
cocodette1867
cocotte1867
queen's woman1871
common prostitute1875
joro1884
geisha1887
horizontal1888
flossy1893
moth1896
girl of the pavement1900
pross1902
prossie1902
pusher1902
split-arse mechanic1903
broad1914
shawl1922
bum1923
quiff1923
hustler1924
lady of the evening1924
prostie1926
working girl1928
prostisciutto1930
maggie1932
brass1934
brass nail1934
mud kicker1934
scupper1935
model1936
poule de luxe1937
pro1937
chromo1941
Tom1941
pan-pan1949
twopenny upright1958
scrubber1959
slack1959
yum-yum girl1960
Suzie Wong1962
mattress1964
jamette1965
ho1966
sex worker1971
pavement princess1976
parlour girl1979
crack whore1990
society > society and the community > social class > the common people > low rank or condition > the lowest class > [noun] > person of the lowest class > woman
customer1583
bulker1673
bunter1706
poissarde1791
1583 B. Melbancke Philotimus (new ed.) 64 It was better wisdome to begin wt his misteris..& be better armed to endure the groning crone, partly cloied with former pleasure, partly with remembraunce of his first customer.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Othello (1623) iv. i. 118 I marry. What? A customer.
a1616 W. Shakespeare All's Well that ends Well (1623) v. iii. 288 I thinke thee now some common Customer . View more context for this quotation
6. colloquial. A person of a specified (esp. troublesome or difficult) character or type; (sometimes) spec. a person with whom one is dealing. Frequently with modifying adjective indicating personality or character, as awkward, ugly, etc. Also in extended use with reference to an animal, typically a fox, or an object.cool customer: see the first element.
ΘΚΠ
the world > people > person > [noun] > other person
elsewhoc1542
customer1590
concreature1592
thee1609
somebody else1648
you1690
the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Canidae > [noun] > genus Vulpes > vulpes vulpes (fox) > hunted
customer1590
bag-fox1736
ringer1832
bagman1875
1590 R. Harvey Plaine Percevall 11 False witnes..is taken vp now for a custome, of one lewd Customer.
1652 P. Heylyn Cosmographie To Rdr. sig. A5 Such a Countrey-customer I did meet with one.
1703 R. Thoresby Let. 27 Apr. in J. Ray Corr. (1848) 427 A slim customer.
1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian iii, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. III. 78 An thou meetest with ugly customers o' the road.
1836 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers (1837) ii. 10 Queer customers those monks.
1843 R. S. Surtees Handley Cross III. i. 19 Towards the rising ground, up which the 'old customer' generally travelled..he sees..not only a fox but his old friend.
1864 H. W. Wheelwright Spring & Summer in Lapland 185 Certainly, a bull elk is an awkward customer when brought to bay.
1898 J. A. Gibbs Cotswold Village xiv. 329 An old dog fox, the hero of many a good run in recent years from these coverts (an ‘old customer’ in fact).
1898 Westm. Gaz. 17 Nov. 9/1 At a second attempt Scraptoft Gorse produced the right sort of customer.
1919 W. S. Maugham Moon & Sixpence xlvii. 245 I guess Strickland was an ugly customer when he was roused.
1989 M. Kramer Making Sense of Wine viii. 173 Few wines offer more gout de terroir—taste of the soil—than Savennières... But it's a prickly customer with food.
2013 D. Bannatyne Riding Storm xi. 76 She was—and is—a quirky customer who comes out with some peculiar phrases.
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society > law > written law > [noun] > book of laws or statutes > customary
customary1413
custumal1576
Grand Customer1685
1685 R. Brady Compl. Hist. Eng. 180 The Conqueror found the Customs and Laws, contained in the Grand Customer here, and that from hence he carried them into Normandy.
1771 E. Ledwich Antiquitates Sarisburienses 29 From the Grand Customer of Normandy we learn, that Bordage was a base tenure.
Phrases
the customer is always right: used as a slogan for a conciliatory and non-confrontational approach to customer service.
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1905 Boston Daily Globe 24 Sept. 41 Every employe from cash boy up is taught absolute respect for and compliance with the business principles which Mr [Marshall] Field practices. Broadly speaking, Mr Field adheres to the theory that ‘the customer is always right’.
1948 C. Rice Big Midget Murders i. 5 Jake signaled to the waiter, and said, He's a mean, hateful little cuss. But the customers are insane about him, and in this corner tavern the customers are always right.
1989 Law & Social Inq. 14 711 ATLA brought a conscious ideology to the subject. Its creed has two tenets. One is consumerism—the customer is always right.
2004 N.Y. Times 18 Apr. iv. 2/3 We don't want to offend students or parents... They are customers and the customer is always right.
Compounds
C1.
a. General attributive (in sense 2), as customer interaction, customer list, customer relationship, etc.
ΚΠ
1905 Amer. Hebrew & Jewish Messenger 22 Dec. 105 More educated than the ‘yellow’ customer peddlers and realestatenicks of earlier years.
1955 J. G. Davis Dict. Dairying (ed. 2) 98 Though the cost of these seals is comparatively high they have an established ‘customer-appeal’.
1964 Times Rev. Industry Feb. 19/2 The costs of customer placation..must be added.
1969 Jane's Freight Containers 1968–9 416/1 The increase in distant-market customer-confidence.
1983 Globe & Mail (Toronto) (Nexis) 6 May In Dallas, one franchise of a major chain has set up customer hot lines and invested heavily in staff training to accommodate the growing demand for support.
1986 F. G. Rodgers & R. L. Shook IBM Way vii. 142 Most companies are a lot better at prospecting for new customers and selling those prospects than maintaining their customer list.
1992 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 20 Mar. d1/3 After sorting out the working relationships, I delve into issues like major customer relationships and product decisions.
2001 National Post (Canada) 17 May c9/6 There are a few shining examples of companies that have successfully utilized the Web to build customer retention and reduce acquisition costs.
2009 New Yorker 29 June 26/3 A roomful of foreign-born movers were sitting around a Harkness table practicing English, to prepare them for customer interaction.
2010 Grocer Feb. 20/4 Customer expectations continue to grow and flex in tune with topical and cultural influences.
b. The earliest evidence found for compounds of the type listed below is typically U.S.
customer complaint n.
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1924 Indianapolis Star 14 July Hundreds of cases involving customer complaints and unfair competition are handled.
1944 Rotarian Nov. 32/2 More than 100 employees working full time on customer complaints.
1995 Our Times July 21/1 I worked as a sub-manager, supervising carriers, checking out customer complaints and training new people, showing them the ropes.
2008 Times (Nexis) 28 May 41 Banks that receive the most customer complaints could be named and shamed under proposals outlined yesterday by the Financial Services Authority.
customer database n.
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society > computing and information technology > data > database > [noun]
database1955
customer database1975
data warehouse1975
data mart1992
1975 Computerworld 12 Nov. 29/4 Simpsons has built a special customer data base.
1991 Personal Computer World Feb. 212/1 In developing mailing lists most people use a number of sources, including list brokers, prospect lists, customer databases, [etc.].
2002 P. Kotler et al. Marketing Moves i. 18 By putting this information into their customer databases..they are better positioned to target individual customers.
customer demand n.
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1917 Fort Wayne (Indiana) Jrnl.-Gaz. 25 Nov. 3/1 The factory executives are making super-human efforts to build the news in quantities that will satisfy both dealer and customer demand.
1925 Ann. Amer. Acad. Polit. & Social Sci. 118 67/1 An accurate forecasting of customer demand.
1989 B. H. Kerblay Gorbachev's Russia ii. 31 The reform..represents a further attempt to alter the climate of labour relations, by substituting customer demand for administrative diktat.
2010 Review (Rio Tinto) Sept. 29/1 Having three different product lines stemming from liquid iron means we can shift our production focus to match customer demand.
customer loyalty n.
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1920 Racine (Wisconsin) Jrnl.-News 6 Dec. 12/1 (advt.) The foundation of big stores is built on customer loyalty.
1962 Kiplinger Mag. Apr. 10/2 Manufacturers and stores are constantly attempting to build ‘customer loyalty’—to persuade you to patronize them to the exclusion of others.
2006 1to1 Mag. Jan. 50/3 Earning customers' trust can have significant financial benefits in terms of increased customer loyalty, higher cross-selling rates, and lower service costs.
customer satisfaction n.
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1918 Kansas City (Missouri) Times 15 June 8/2 Shelton prestige is built upon a foundation of customer satisfaction.
1938 Life 6 June 29/3 (advt.) For about ten years I have been sold on the advisability of using Ethyl, not only as a means of getting top performance and dependability but also for better customer satisfaction.
1989 Texas Monthly Oct. 34/3 The waiters fret over customer satisfaction, and the setting is pleasantly upscale but still informal.
2010 Guardian 27 Jan. (Call Centre Suppl.) 25/3 Measuring customer satisfaction reliably and credibly is essential for contact centres to progress.
customer survey n.
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1926 G. P. Knapp How Banks increase their Business ii. 27 All these and many other sources of information should have the most painstaking attention in the customer survey.
1930 Lincoln (Nebraska) Star 2 Dec. 2/6 Mr. Bradley will tell the convention of a customer survey he made that resulted in a large increase in business.
1991 Which? Aug. 468/3 If you include your complaint on the customer survey handed out by reps at the end of your holiday, be sure to post it directly to the company.
2009 Irish Times (Nexis) 2 May (Travel section) 2 The survey was conducted between February 12th and March 23rd and included an online customer survey (with 427 respondents).
C2.
customer base n. originally U.S. the customers or potential customers of a particular business, considered collectively.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > buying > buyer > [noun] > customer or client > collectively
custom1665
clientele1835
clientship1855
customer base1954
client base1957
1954 Ann. Rep. Chas. Pfizer & Co., Inc. Both the diversification of product and broadening of customer base that have marked this division for the past several years augur well for its future.
1978 Globe & Mail (Toronto) (Nexis) 22 July I think that our volume will pick up significantly as firms begin to realize that our product is an ideal way to broaden their customer base.
1994 N.Y. Times 10 Aug. d1/5 Companies seeking to tap a vast new customer base are spending millions to stake out storefronts in cyberspace.
2002 D. Goleman et al. Business: Ultimate Resource 1345/2 Closer relationships between the organisations throughout the [supply] chain can bring competitive advantage, reduce costs, and help to maintain a loyal customer base.
customer care n. assistance and support provided by a company to those people who buy or use its products or services; (also, frequently attributive) the department of a business which provides this; cf. customer service n.
ΚΠ
1958 Del Rio (Texas) News-Herald 9 Mar. 8/1 (heading) Retailers advised on customer care.
1993 Which? Apr. 36/1 DIY stores came bottom of the league for customer care when compared with other types of shop and service.
1994 Investors Chron. (Nexis) 1 July 30 Enquire at your local Barclays branch for more details. Its Customer Care Team..are also available to clarify any rolling settlement issues.
2002 Big Issue 17 June 13/1 I call the Woolwich and explain the situation. The main office puts me through to customer care.
customer experience n. originally U.S. (a) experience of dealing with or serving customers; (b) (now more commonly) a customer's experience of the assistance, quality of service, etc., provided by a business, or of a particular product or service; now usually as a mass noun.
ΚΠ
1918 Bridgeport (Connecticut) Telegram 2 Dec. 4 (advt.) There's a world of freedom at all times because we have builded Underwear after years of customer-experience.
1927 Management June 44/2 Their strategy has been to trust a daily agreeable customer experience as the surest method in the world for securing a permanently agreeable state of customer mind.
1946 N.Y. Times 15 Jan. l35/3 Eleven large fleet operators..began meeting with Packard executives to inspect the new long-wheelbase models and offer suggestions, based on their customer experience.
1989 Hobart (Austral.) Mercury (Nexis) 14 Feb. They were looking for people who had some customer experience.
2006 Financial Times 25 Jan. 6 (heading) A fresh way of using data for enhancing customer experience.
customer-facing adj. (a) of, relating to, or involved in direct interaction with customers; (b) (less commonly) characterized by prioritization or provision of a high level of customer service; cf. customer-focused adj.
ΚΠ
1986 Times 13 Feb. 26/4 (advt.) The job will involve close liaison with British Telecom Headquarters, other British Telecom Districts and customer-facing divisions within the District.
1989 Training & Devel. Jrnl. Dec. 56/3 The goal of TQS is to create a ‘customer facing’ culture in which service quality is a dominant value.
1994 Sunday Times 6 Mar. vi. 9/3 (advt.) In this senior position, you must possess outstanding customer-facing skills.
2013 M. Watkinson Ten Princ. behind Great Customer Experiences xi. 164 In the last seven years I have seen a senior manager perform a customer-facing role zero times.
customer feedback n. originally U.S. feedback provided to a business by those who use its products or services.
ΚΠ
1964 Daily Times-News (Burlington, N. Carolina) 21 Dec. 50/2 He got direct, firsthand customer feedback because he dealt personally with her.
1987 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 24 Sept. (Style section) 1 Design houses with their own retail outlets place great importance on customer feedback and many will make to order if the fabric is available.
2013 Nat. Health Apr. 81 (advt.) This natural eye cream has recently been improved thanks to valuable customer feedback.
customer focus n. originally North American a focus on the needs or tastes of customers, esp. when developing a product, advertising campaign, etc.; an emphasis on providing a high level of customer service.
ΚΠ
1970 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 25 Aug. b14/9 Mr. Wansbrough's responsibilities include..integrating activities among the Company's various sales organizations to achieve optimum customer focus for the overall Company.
1983 Amer. Banker (Nexis) 23 Feb. A true customer focus demands high standards for performance.
2000 Business Times (Singapore) (Nexis) 15 Sept. 20 The strategy represents a shift of focus for HP from product focus to customer focus.
2004 Daily Post (N. Wales) (Nexis) 12 Oct. 6 The hotel's management really has a true customer focus and extensive staff training underpins the mantra that the customer is king.
customer-focused adj. originally U.S. focused on the needs or tastes of customers, or developed with these in mind; characterized by prioritization or provision of a high level of customer service.
ΚΠ
1956 Christian Sci. Monitor 22 Aug. 13/5 The basic nature of General Electric will remain the same. We are a customer-focused company.
1958 Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) 30 Apr. 18/1 Would a customer-focused sales effort..include American output of small cars by Ford?
1988 Amer. Banker (Nexis) 7 July A similar approach to cost identification and ranking can be used with respect to the customer-focused products and services.
2003 Chicago Tribune (Midwest ed.) 13 Apr. vi. 8/2 (advt.) We are currently seeking two customer-focused professionals to provide technical support to our domestic and international customers in the area of field service.
customer-orientated adj. originally U.S. = customer-focused adj.
ΚΠ
1957 Rep. Mid-year Conf. 1956 (Super Market Inst.) 40/1 You will find the most successful operators not only customer orientated in the ordinary sense of wanting to please, but orientated to selling.
1970 Jrnl. Industr. Econ. 18 206 Within the marketing field it [sc. British industry] is somewhat less ‘customer-orientated’.
1996 New Straits Times (Malaysia) (Nexis) 12 Jan. 21 The bartenders were friendly, more customer-orientated.
2010 Right Vision News (Pakistan) (Nexis) 5 Mar. We will focus on the customer-orientated products for the Indian market.
customer orientation n. originally U.S. = customer focus n.
ΚΠ
1952 Amer. Jrnl. Sociol. 57 484/1 The customer-orientation of the business furriers was emphasized; yet in the early 1800's the merchants are said to have been unconcerned with the customers' good will.
1971 Jrnl. Marketing 35 No. 4. 39/2 The purpose of customer orientation is to improve the firm's selling effectiveness.
1992 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 5 Dec. 24 Travellers deal with parking, customs, immigration and retail operators who largely have no customer orientation whatsoever. Greetings, smiles and courtesy are generally absent.
2011 Daily News (Sri Lanka) (Nexis) 8 Apr. Attempting to practice marketing without customer orientation will be of no use.
customer-oriented adj. originally U.S. = customer-focused adj.
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1952 Amer. Jrnl. Sociol. 57 478 Those operating business fur shops think of the secure furrier in customer-oriented terms.
1984 Globe & Mail (Canada) (Nexis) 29 Oct. A company's success depends on its ability to sell goods or services. It must therefore be market-driven and customer-oriented.
1998 Vancouver Sun (Nexis) 16 Mar. d1 Customer-oriented products under consideration include a backup power system for markets in developing countries in which household power supply is inconsistent.
2007 Wine & Spirit May 12/3 Top of Levett's list..are people who are ‘customer-oriented, down to earth, who go the extra mile and make things happen’.
customer profile n. originally U.S. a profile of the customers or target market of a business, product, or service; (also) a record containing an individual customer’s personal details, buying habits, etc.Recorded earliest in attributive use.
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1950 Printers' Ink 12 May 84/3 A 12-point check list on how research can help advertising, marketing and sales executives..has been prepared... The list includes market analysis, customer profile studies, product testing, [etc.].
1962 Jrnl. Marketing 26 No. 1. 14/2 It is not good enough, or safe enough, to extrapolate from the customer profile encountered in other countries for your product.
1981 Globe & Mail (Canada) (Nexis) 5 Oct. About 700,000 customer profiles are contained in the centralized system.
2015 Telegraph-Jrnl. (New Brunswick) (Nexis) 19 Dec. d3 My customer profile is predominately female, 25 to 50 years old, who are buying rings for themselves or their loved ones.
customer relations n. originally U.S. (the state of) the relationship between a business and its customers; the department of a business concerned with establishing or maintaining a good relationship with customers, or (more generally) the area of business relating to this.
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society > occupation and work > business affairs > a business or company > [noun]
company1532
society1623
office1647
Co1679
concern1681
business1728
establishment1832
outfit1833
business administration1852
customer relations1920
enterprise1930
label1968
MNC1971
1920 Boston Post 19 Mar. 21/4 Both the manufacturer and the merchant..take into account their relation to all of the various phases of business such as sales, stock, delivery, collections and in fact the whole structure of customer relations.
1934 Amer. Marketing Jrnl. 1 163/2 A time when customer relations are sensitive and should be stable if business is to be done at all.
1978 Globe & Mail (Toronto) (Nexis) 31 Aug. A month later, Marnie got a letter back from the cosmetic company's customer relations department.
1980 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 3 Aug. x. 1/1 The Philadelphian who was snowbound in Toronto received a refund from customer relations for the $30 extra she had paid.
1997 Bristol Post (Nexis) 12 Aug. She also studies leisure and tourism and plans to work in customer relations or as an air hostess.
2002 D. Goleman et al. Business: Ultimate Resource 1235/1 Low emotional capital can result in conflict between staff, poor teamwork, and poor customer relations.
customer representative n. a person employed to represent and act as an advocate for the interests of customers, esp. those of a particular business.In quot. 1911 appositively: a customer who acts as a sales representative for a business.
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1911 Amer. Issue Aug. 18/2 (advt.) Wanted customer representatives... Will you inquire as to that Special Offer to the customer who will act as a representative for us?]
1932 Public Utilities Fortn. 14 Apr. 483/2 The filing of the complaint by the customer representatives.
2013 Press & Jrnl. (Aberdeen) (Nexis) 2 Dec. (Business section) 20 More than 1,000 ‘one-to-one’ sessions were held between supplier and customer representatives in which they could explain their respective capabilities and requirements in a focused and friendly conversation.
customer service n. assistance and advice provided by a company to those people who buy or use its products or services; (also, frequently attributive or in plural) the department of a business which provides this.
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1922 Washington Post 16 Apr. (Automotive section) 5/3 (caption) Joseph N. (‘Joe’) Thompson, in the accessory business, as well as distributor for Mason tires, a great stickler for customer service.
1933 Employm. & Wages in Retail Industr. (U.S. Dept. Commerce) 16 The inauguration of customer services, such as delivery, credit, etc., from which there is no direct return in income.
1935 Hamilton (Ohio) Daily News Jrnl. 14 Mar. 17/5 The addition of approximately 100 square feet to the customer-service department of the store.
1997 R. Karr & D. Blohowiak Great Customer Service 112 Providing world class customer service means keeping the lines of communication open.
2003 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 3 July g4 ‘Have you tried looking for local dealers?’ the helpful customer service representative said.
customer support n. (a) support for a business, venture, etc., from its customers; (b) assistance and support provided by a business to its customers, esp. in the event of customer dissatisfaction, or a (technical) fault with a product; (also) the department of a business which provides this (now the usual sense).
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1928 Evening Gaz. (Xenia, Ohio) 29 Sept. 2 (advt.) Customer support builds a greater Xenia.
1950 Times 23 Mar. 10/6 Our customer support and goodwill has improved immeasurably.
1969 Computerworld 24 Sept. 1/4 All phases of customer support, such as maintenance, technical assistance, customer training, and development of software.
1978 New Scientist 25 May 546/1 (advt.) In the first instance please write to Peter Nichols, Head of Customer Support.
1997 InfoWorld 17 Nov. 2/2 (advt.) If you have any PC or networking questions, the answers are just a phone call away—thanks to our top-notch, 24-hour customer support.
2010 Townsville (Austral.) Bull. (Nexis) 2 June (Features section) 16 Paying a few dollars less each month is going to feel like a false economy if you keep losing connection and are constantly on the phone with customer support.
customer weaver n. originally and chiefly Scottish (now historical) a weaver who does work to order for private or individual customers as opposed to a factory, wholesaler, etc.; cf. custom adj. 2.
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1808 J. Duncan Pract. & Descriptive Ess. Art of Weaving: Pt. II vii. 303 This rule is chiefly useful to customer weavers.
1832 Chambers' Edinb. Jrnl. 29 Sept. 277/1 There are now very few customer weavers, as they are called, who can obtain full employment.
1956 Trans. & Papers (Inst. Brit. Geographers) 22 142 Wool and flax..were spun in every home and then sent to the customer-weaver.
2000 B. Jennings in J. Thirsk Rural Eng. (2002) ii. 65 The majority without looms put out the weaving stage to a customer weaver, a figure represented in literature by Silas Marner.
customer work n. †(a) Scottish weaving done to order for a private or individual customer as opposed to a factory, wholesaler, etc.; cf. work n. 17b (obsolete (historical in later use)); (b) (more generally) work done for customers; cf. custom work n. at custom n. and adj. Compounds 2.
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1825 R. Chambers Illustr. Author of Waverley (ed. 2) vii. 193 The world was to the weaver all a desart, wherein only one resting-place existed—customer-wark!
1825 R. Chambers Illustr. Author of Waverley (ed. 2) vii. 194 Yet canty the wabster, and blyth as a lark, Whene'er he gets what he ca's customer-wark!
1832 Chambers' Edinb. Jrnl. 29 Sept. 277/1 When customer work failed, he was fain to work a piece upon speculation.
1886 T. Craig-Brown Hist. Selkirkshire II. 179 There was no factory of any consequence in the town, the weavers for the most part living in poor houses of their own, earning a precarious living from what was called ‘customer wark’.
1932 Econ. Jrnl. 42 596 Some of the new developments (e.g. sewing-machines, and domestic plumbing) actually tended to give fresh life to customer-work.
1977 Interfaces 7 13 The Maintenance Branch of Air Canada performs a substantial amount of customer work that generates revenue in the order of $15 Million annually.
2010 Financial Times 24 May 20/6 Because there is simply not enough customer work, our ‘utilisation’ rates makes us non-competitive and we have to reshape how we deliver that work.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
† customeradj.
Obsolete.
Of a person: accustomed to do something. Of an action: customary, habitual.
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the world > action or operation > behaviour > customary or habitual mode of behaviour > [adjective] > that does something habitually > accustomed to do something
wonec950
usantc1380
customera1393
customablea1400
customeda1425
a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) ii. l. 1928 If thou were evere Custummer To Falssemblant in eny wise.
a1400 (c1303) R. Mannyng Handlyng Synne (Harl.) 8805 Who-so-euer þarto ys custummer [Fr. de custume],..he..doþe greuaunce Aȝens þe clergy ordynaunce.
a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) (1891) l. 4936 Youthes chambre That to done yuell is custommere.
?c1450 tr. Bk. Knight of La Tour Landry (1906) 134 This good lady was custumer to herburgh[e] the holy profitees.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2016; most recently modified version published online September 2021).
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n.1389
adj.a1393