One Letter Difference

Something has been irritating me for years and it finally dawned upon me, what the problem is.  In the last 20 years or so, the term "consumer" has taken over the retail and service experience.  Although it seemed subtle, it offended me, truly offended me.  I sensed something being put into place.  I felt a change of sorts, but couldn't quite put my finger on it, other than to realize, "the customer is always right" was soon to be history!  I knew there was more to this.  Tinfoil Hat Alert!

Can you remember the last time you were called a customer?  Oh, there are still customer service phone reps for many companies, and a Customer Service Department in some retail stores.   When calling a customer service line, there is a significant waiting period to actually hear a human voice after the initial recorded message, "Your call is important to us."

Through the years, I've sensed a real disconnect between what it was to be a customer and now among the herd of consumers.  Some service oriented companies use the term "client," but for the most part we are all, now, considered to be consumers.  In the years of progress regarding debit cards and check-out technology, the term "swipe" now means to process the card for payment.  "Swipe" used to mean stealing, but I digress.

Although there is only one letter difference between CUSTOMER and CONSUMER, the difference in the definition changes everything.

CUSTOMER:  Someone who pays for goods or services

CONSUMER:  A person who uses goods or services

Another subtle step toward desensitization in regard to buying and selling . . .