Over Duct Tape Marketing, an interesting question: is it a client, or is it a customer? I know the answer for most lawyers is that the folks being represented are clients rather than customers, but I’ve never been so sure.
The origin of the word customer means, “coming from one’s habit or custom,” as opposed to client, which is more closely related to the idea of a follower. John Jantsch points out that the goal should be to have someone know, like, trust, call and refer to you repeatedly. In other words, the brass ring is for it to be their custom to think of you whenever they need a solution to a legal problem.
Therefore, a customer.
Both words compared from the Online Etymology Dictionary.
client – 1393, from Anglo-Fr. clyent, from L. cliens (acc. clientem) “follower, retainer,” perhaps a var. of prp. of cluere “listen, follow, obey” (see listen); or from clinare “to incline, bend,” from suffixed form of PIE base *klei- “to lean” (see lean (v.)). The ground sense is of one who leans on another for protection. In ancient Rome, a plebian under protection of a patrician (in this relationship called patronus, see patron), originally in Eng. “a lawyer’s customer,” by c.1600 extended to any customer. Clientele is 1563, from Fr. clientèle, from L. clientela “relationship between dependent and patron.”
custom – c.1200, “habitual practice,” from O.Fr. costume, from V.L. *consuetumen, from L. consuetudinem, acc. of consuetudo “habit or usage,” from consuetus, pp. of consuescere “accustom,” from com- intens. prefix + suescere “become used to, accustom oneself,” related to sui, gen. of suus “oneself,” from PIE *swe- “oneself” (see idiom). Replaced O.E. þeaw. Sense of a “regular” toll or tax on goods is c.1325. Customer (14c.) meant “customs official” before meaning switched to “buyer” (first attested 1409). Customary is from 1523.
