Know-How Exchange : Student Questions

abhivnav,

My apologies. We have students often on here who cut and paste their homework problems and I misunderstood your question. I get it now. Thanks for clarifying the situation.

First it's important to understand the reason why we differentiate between consumer and customer. Why is it important to have TWO versus just one - meaning we treat consumer and customer as the same thing.

从制造商购买链是路径of a product or service to the user of the product or service. There may be just two people involved - the manufacturer and the user or there may be many stops in between - the whole seller, the distributor, the retailer, and then the user. Each step along the way can be considered a "customer." They are buying the product and then reselling it. Suppose the manufacturer does not have access to the user. For example, suppose I sell bolts to you in your country. I'm in the United States. I don't have access to any users of bolts in your country. I only can reach you. I will market to you. I want to supply you all the bolts you need - 100% - versus have you buy from my competitors. You are my customer. But, you are not the user. I market to you, but if you are not marketing to the users, you can't buy my bolts - you have no customers. The same is true if I do have access to users. I can market to you - I want you to sell only my bolts. But, I can also market to the users - I want them to buy my bolts - from you! But, users' needs are different than your needs so my marketing is different to you versus to the users.

Take children's toys. I want to market to stores so I can capture prime store space. I want to market to parents since they spend the money. I want to market to children because they will ask their parents to buy the toy. If I skip a step in the marketing process, then I lose out on sales. The marketing to each "customer" is different than to the user - the children.

So that's why we make a differentiation. I believe the distinction in the definition you were given is that a person buying a consumable item for their own use - no question. they consume so they are a consumer. If, however, they buy something for their family and the family consumes - are they considered a consumer? If you consider a family "one unit," not several people, then the person buying is acting for the unit. Therefore, the unit is buying and consuming. For many things, it's not important to differentiate between one family member and another so this definition works. Also, when the buyer is acting on behalf of the user, this works. For instance, a man buying jewellery for his wife. He's buying to her tastes so he's acting on her behalf (if he doesn't do this for a gift, he'll end up having to take it back or the wife won't wear it). So this is why the definition includes a person buying for the family as consumer, too. Does that clear it up for you?

Wayde

Dear abhinav.rukmangad,

Large slice of humble pie for Mr. Bloomer and I apologize for my
earlier, wise ass response.

The issues of when exactly a customer becomes a consumer is complex but logically, might it be that customers BUY, consumers consume, meaning that the former obtains and the latter uses, imbibes, takes in, or somehow leverages the thing that's been purchased BY the person in customer mode?

Mode? Yes, we switch from one mode to another throughout the day and throughout our need-meeting processes. As we age and as our needs amend, our modes of accepting, finding, hunting for, using, obtaining solutions and so on for our needs change.

It's for this reason that human being have become so adaptable. As much as we fear change, an ability to use it is actually hard wired into our DNA.

Similarly as with shoppers becoming buyers, who in turn become purchasers, users, friends, fans, and lovers of the thing in question. The processional aspects here are the key rest stops along the way (meaning as one part of the buyer/seller process morphs into another to progress the relational part of trade along its merry way.

Again, I apologize for my earlier, snippy response to what is, in fact, an interesting question. Good for you for having the chops to come back with a response.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

P.S. Like my approach and the fact that, when I'm wrong,
I can admit as much?https://bit.ly/YouMightLikeThis