noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a business customer/client
▪ We’re providing our business customers with reliable, proven Internet technology.
a customer survey
▪ They have begun to listen carefully to their customers, through customer surveys, focus groups, etc.
a customer/consumer complaint
▪ As a result of the improvements, customer complaints went down by 70%.
a potential customer/buyer/client
▪ Advertisers want to reach as many potential customers as possible.
a prospective customer/client
▪ We are conducting market research among existing and prospective customers.
awkward customer (=person who is difficult and unhelpful)
▪ an awkward customer
cool customer (=someone who always behaves calmly)
▪ a cool customer
corporate clients/customers (=clients that are companies)
▪ It's a big investment bank that serves mainly corporate clients.
customer service
▪ At our bank, we insist on high standards of customer service.
customer services
▪ You should call customer services and complain.
customer/brand loyalty (=when someone shops in the same shops or buys the same goods regularly)
▪ The company's marketing department is trying to build customer loyalty.
customer/patient/voter etc satisfaction (=among customers/patients/voters etc )
▪ Staff work as a team to achieve customer satisfaction.
regular customer/visitor
▪ He’s one of the bar’s regular customers.
satisfied customers
▪ They have plenty of satisfied customers.
serving customers
▪ There was only one girl serving customers.
slippery customer (=someone you should not trust)
▪ Martin is a slippery customer so be careful what you say to him.
tough cookie/customerinformal (= someone who is very determined to do what they want and not what other people want)
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
big
▪ Schools and hobbyists - the kind of people who own home computers - are among the biggest customers.
▪ For it is not only with big customers that you will need a good accountant.
▪ That they all do so with big doses of customer appeal is an added bonus.
▪ CyberCash has racked up a few big customers recently, however.
▪ University libraries are one big customer.
▪ The maker of publishing software also said it is losing one of its biggest Postscript customers.
▪ Big Slow Payers Dealing with big firms who are also big customers is often a mixed blessing for small businesses.
▪ A big, potential customer called with a major assignment.
existing
▪ Again, 3i differs here in that 35% of all the money it invests goes to its existing customer base.
▪ For existing customers the offer is worth up to £500.
▪ They can sell this package to their existing customers.
▪ It means offering existing customers the new model two weeks before they seek a replacement from your competitors.
▪ Upgrades are available for existing customers.
▪ Production units will be delivered this month. Existing 4680 customers can upgrade.
▪ Under the deal, S &038; N will continue to sell and distribute Nivea to existing customers for the next 10 years.
▪ Organizations have developed several different ways of regarding their existing and potential customers.
large
▪ The usual justification is goodwill and the hope that one day a small customer could become a large customer.
▪ One day King told him to find prices on four bonds for a very large customer, Morgan Guaranty.
▪ Apple liked the idea so much that they invested a 20% stake in Adobe making themselves the largest customer.
▪ With leading brokerage firms possessing large customer bases such as Goldman, Sachs&038;.
▪ Simultaneously they were Adobe's largest customer contributing over 40% of the revenues at one point.
▪ Many U.K. companies maintain large customer databases.
▪ He had promises from several large customers to use his services.
new
▪ In the old days, signing up and connecting a new customer in a medium-sized city would be a costly exercise.
▪ The object is to keep them happy while looking for new customers, he said.
▪ Also a conservatory can improve the overall image and give an extra incentive to attract new customers.
▪ All claims are being met and the company has Government blessing to accept new customers.
▪ Find out where their new customers come from.
▪ But the company believes, he added, that fees based primarily on actual costs will attract new customers.
▪ Competition in the private sector works the same way: successful new ideas draw customers, and unsuccessful ones die out.
potential
▪ Their potential customers have holidays on their minds - not house moves.
▪ A big, potential customer called with a major assignment.
▪ This provided them with a highly qualified list of potential customers matching their target demographic groups.
▪ Because of the deadline, your manager made changes and sent the copy to your potential customer.
▪ It believes sponsoring 32-year-old Branagh's Hamlet will be a way of chasing potential upmarket customers.
▪ Gates promised this huge potential customer that he could have a software package that was ideal for his computer.
▪ The debate about privacy is lost on such potential customers as James Miller.
private
▪ A large number of private care agency customers are elderly or disabled people who are not social services clients.
▪ However, it seems unlikely that it was intended that less disclosure should be made to private customers than to professionals.
▪ With effect from 1 January 1993 this rule only applies to private customers.
▪ Non-private customers: the different categories Anyone who is not a private customer is a non-private customer.
▪ Hence they are rather like the overdraft limit placed on a private sector customer by its bank.
▪ Leasing has never, however, been an option for the private customer.
▪ Most of the major manufacturers now have leasing-type schemes specially designed for their private customers.
regular
▪ Other initiatives include regular meetings between customers and management and more frequent and focused sales and technical visits to customers.
▪ Jim was a regular customer and got a warm greeting from the owners.
▪ Mrs Jackie Bowshell organised the event and cars were brought in by regular customers to a strict timetable.
▪ The people who drink at these places are more than regular customers they are members.
▪ Intelmet says that to make the service pay it will require just 10 regular customers every month.
▪ I did have one fairly regular customer though, and it was amazing how we started off.
■ NOUN
base
▪ Again, 3i differs here in that 35% of all the money it invests goes to its existing customer base.
▪ Are there other untapped demographics you can identify to build an additional customer base?
▪ The customer base was considerably strengthened and a variety of new products launched.
▪ Independent grocery stores have used Nordstrom-style personal service for years to maintain loyal customer bases.
▪ The customer base has to be broadened and internationalised in a profitable manner.
▪ This information is supplemented by a wealth of subscriber-supplied data from a wide-ranging customer base.
▪ A former Metrologie employee, Sayles says eXplain was restricted from attacking the Metrologie X terminal customer base.
▪ Personal computer software looks to be a good money spinner too having grown 200% though from an admittedly small customer base.
business
▪ District Service Centres will dramatically reduce processing costs and the price paid by business customers.
▪ Fox Valley also surveys its business customers, which contract for training courses and economic development services.
▪ While tapping the same market, the chains approach the business customer in different ways.
▪ PacketWorks has provided Internet access and related services to business customers in Central Florida since its founding in 1994.
▪ At that time, the company was one of the few Internet providers able to link business customers to high-speed Internet service.
▪ Most of the growth came from business customers, and the company credited the improving California economy.
care
▪ Training implies that they do not, yet nobody seems to be able to point to any deterioration in customer care.
▪ Nothing about environmental impact, customer care, or good business practices.
▪ The delegation looked at a range of hotel operations including food preparation, customer care programmes, sales and marketing and budgeting.
▪ John had high standards of customer care and quality service.
▪ He still had a lot of contacts who valued his priorities of customer care and quality.
▪ Hotels have high standards of customer care and lift maintenance organisations have to understand these requirements.
complaint
▪ They may be content to put up with a certain proportion of customer complaints for a given volume of business.
▪ It was pulled off the air after two weeks because of customer complaints, but the shoes sold out.
▪ If customer complaints don't come your way, go down to the Customer Relations Department and chat to the people there.
▪ As a result of such improvements, customer complaints went down by more than 70 per-cent.
▪ Do you genuinely and sincerely investigate customer complaints and try to eradicate the causes?
▪ Accordingly, they hired more telephone representatives to relieve the pressure on employees charged with handling customer complaints and inquiries.
▪ Customers' satisfaction - fewer customer complaints and loss of business. 3.
satisfaction
▪ You can't move an inch without being given a customer satisfaction survey to complete.
▪ Consequently customer satisfaction had actually declined.
▪ Your job satisfaction ensures your customer satisfaction; - and it shows.
▪ They have recognized that their business depends on world of mouth, and that world of mouth is based on customer satisfaction.
▪ This will lead to greater customer satisfaction and be to everyone's benefit.
▪ The money is earmarked for engineering, marketing and sales of the start-up's customer satisfaction software.
▪ As with any complex electronic information system or service, a strong support structure can make an enormous difference in customer satisfaction.
service
▪ Competitive rates are only one factor in good customer service.
▪ In addition, Verio affiliates' customer service representatives will benefit from easy access to account information.
▪ Issues such as product knowledge, lead generation and customer service are tackled.
▪ They are very data conscious now and more wired into productivity, quality, the importance of training, and customer service.
▪ In this way we can build on what we believe we do well - providing excellent customer service and quality beer brands.
▪ In the opinion of most, however customer service and quality remained hostage to the lack of cooperation from the functional heads.
▪ It's very reassuring that some companies can be relied upon to give good customer service and satisfaction.
▪ How could we upgrade customer service?
■ VERB
allow
▪ Strength in numbers will allow us to give customers a better deal.
▪ The promotion, which it discontinued in April, allows a full-fare paying customer to take a companion along for free.
▪ An important feature of current accounts is that banks often allow customers to be overdrawn.
▪ Some airlines even allow customers to book seats.
▪ Car salespeople will allow customers to test drive cars.
▪ Places to Stay allows customers to make reservations directly at about 100 Northern California hotels and bed and breakfasts.
▪ Read in studio A pub landlord in Oxford has been charged with allowing his customers to smoke cannabis on his premises.
▪ The rise of computer networks like the Internet will allow customers to download programs directly from the manufacturer.
attract
▪ Hay now attracts customers from all over the world.
▪ Managed-care companies that had kept prices low to attract new customers are under heavy pressure to increase earnings.
▪ It is hoped this will attract customers wanting to avoid the costs and anxiety of development.
▪ Television manufacturers are getting desperate to attract customers.
▪ And the outlets had to be revamped to attract more customers.
▪ Last year, it launched the Deluxe sandwiches, a higher-priced line meant to attract customers looking for better quality.
▪ The marketing strategies of banks have been aimed in some cases at attracting young customers, especially the student market.
▪ These latter departments are not only profitable but they also attract customers.
buy
▪ Once the customer decides to buy the software, Hewlett provides a password over the phone granting a permanent licence.
▪ My job is to persuade the customer to buy a product.
▪ If all banks sell securities, they will all lose deposits and balances as their own customers buy securities.
▪ When he made one for himself, a customer would buy it.
▪ Because the process is extremely flexible, customers no longer need to buy a minimum of one tonne of alloy.
▪ Many more of our customers now buy a piano for themselves.
▪ According to World Semiconductor Trade Statistics, customers are expected to buy 100m of these chips at most.
▪ All three knew well that customers buying computers needed some way to make them work together.
help
▪ And the added bulk helped deter customers from walking off with the product without paying.
▪ For crisis loans, helping customers meet expenses in an emergency, 3,315 people were helped out of the 3,508 applications made.
▪ Noble bookstore in Georgetown, where Llanos helped customers find works on theology, philosophy and other subjects.
▪ Our aim is to provide products and services that help our customers work towards achievement of the Quality Standard for Electronic Business.
▪ As a young boy, he visited the shop most Fridays and helped serve customers.
▪ It was in the publican's interest to keep the constable sweet, to help with rowdy customers.
▪ And we will do everything in our power to help that customer get through her difficult financial times.
keep
▪ By keeping close to customers, we are better able to service their needs and we can keep ahead of industry trends.
▪ I was dazzled by the friendly clerks, who kept bowing at customers, and the quantity and quality of consumer goods.
▪ Initially they only need to keep track of customers, write letters and run a spreadsheet.
▪ Because their friends frequent the park, they get enough word-of-mouth advertising to keep the customers coming.
▪ You are the frontline in our battle to win and keep customers.
▪ What is the right shopping environment that keeps customers happy and wanting to return?
▪ They keep upsetting customers by pushing them for money. 4.
▪ A multi-service approach keeps customers loyal, executives and analysts said.
meet
▪ In order to meet customer needs we must be able to respond more quickly and flexibly to changing conditions.
▪ I suggested to him that I wanted to meet his customer one-on-one.
▪ He saw meeting customer requirements punctually and precisely as his primary job.
▪ She says they want the people who meet customers to look good.
▪ I get to meet the customers, to listen to what they want.
▪ Innovative product lines continue to be introduced to meet growing customer demand.
▪ Instead sympathetic competitors allowed them to manufacture on their premises to meet customer orders.
offer
▪ It intends to offer customers strategic business planning as well as interoperability strategies for the future.
▪ The biggest barrier to entry into the video shopping arena has been the lack of available channels offering variety to customers.
▪ A further hidden cost hinges on the share price the broker is able to offer customers.
▪ The goal is to offer its customers hundreds of new cable channels and video services.
▪ Another way in which retail outlets vary is in the type of service they offer to customers.
▪ Many companies offer special trips to customers who respond to a pitch within 48 or 72 hours.
▪ Indeed, PageMart and PageNet last week offered incentives for EconoPage customers to switch to their paging networks.
▪ Under the agreement, Verio will offer NetObjects Fusion 4.0 customers 30 days of free Web hosting and domain-name registration.
pay
▪ If you'd invented a string of lovelorn swains you'd have had to pay customer prices.
▪ If you had any talent, you worked your way up to the counter and tables where the paying customers were.
▪ District Service Centres will dramatically reduce processing costs and the price paid by business customers.
▪ The promotion, which it discontinued in April, allows a full-fare paying customer to take a companion along for free.
▪ Interest is paid gross to all customers investing £50,000 or more for a fixed term of at least seven days.
▪ The amount also includes another $ 127. 5 million the firm already paid or agreed to pay to customers.
▪ In penance, Nynex has this month been forced to pay customers a rebate.
▪ These costs are paid by the customer. 8.
provide
▪ Adequate instructions, manuals and training should be provided for customers.
▪ They provide customers with both the e-commerce applications as well as the ramps to access the I-way.
▪ Computer suppliers frequently provide customer training as an integral part of their total product package.
▪ However, each also needs a strong measure of motivation to provide friendly and responsive customer service.
▪ Banks, through modern communications and worldwide correspondents, provide assistance to customers engaged in international trade.
▪ Several types of services can be provided to the customer.
▪ It is being provided free to customers.
satisfy
▪ Each individual uses the product of another supplier and his/her output has to satisfy a customer.
▪ Hence they tend to satisfy their customers while wasting far less.
▪ Purists might call it chiming rather than genuine ringing but Saint Mary's has some very satisfied customers.
▪ A happy and satisfied customer would tell five other people about the company.
▪ Fifteen separate routes have been made the responsibility of managers whose chief aim is to satisfy their customers.
▪ The desired outcome of most services, after all, is a satisfied customer.
▪ Employees at Yahoo! constantly experiment to improve their site and so satisfy more customers.
▪ The stories rarely heard are those of satisfied customers like Patricia Lopez of El Cajon.
serve
▪ Doyle chuckled then left her to serve a customer.
▪ E.. Modesto already serves a few customers in one of those cities, Riverbank.
▪ What matters is to serve customers better and more profitably.
▪ Randalls has 67 stores, which serve about a million customers each week.
▪ Serving the customer involves more members of the company than just those who serve at the customer interface.
▪ A milkman who serves the same customers every day and who is usually known to them personally will clearly have sufficient contact.
▪ In each case, the winners serve their customers better.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
user-friendly/customer-friendly etc
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ British Airways was Boeing's largest customer for jet airplanes.
▪ Ford has launched a big sales campaign in an effort to bring in new customers.
▪ The barman was serving the last customer of the evening.
▪ The Defense Department is one of Lockheed's biggest regular customers.
▪ Their typical customer earns more than $70,000.
▪ We don't get many customers on Mondays - Saturday is our busiest day.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ After monitoring the performance of the engine on the rig, it is prepared for despatch to the customer.
▪ All are given clear-cut linkage to their internal customer.
▪ But don't starve your customers in the process - there's no profit in that either.
▪ But in the long run, observers see the potential for new products and concerns about customer service.
▪ It was a well-kept secret that the old system was biased in favor of residential customers.
▪ Just when she had been on the brink of despair, one of her rich customers had given her a handsome order.
▪ Second, customers decide their preferences with a large pinch of subjectivity.