<p>顾客 can be explained as &quot;a guest(客) who visits(顾) our shop,&quot; that is, a customer. Its opposite side is a retailer.<br />
客户 (client) often refers to one or more people who comes to negotiate a business. Its opposite side is a company or a self employed person (e.g. a psychiatrist or a lawyer). I believe both words appear under Western influence.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2016-01-27T10:02:16.943Z
2022-06-13T03:01:05.137Z
2022-06-13T03:01:05.137Z
Winfred Huang
<p>客户 (client) is more formal, also it is used to refer to repeat or long term customers.</p>

<p>顾客 (customer) is more casual, most of time it is used to refer to shopper or diner, people who are not purchasing on a regular basis.</p>

<p>for example, if I ordered something from a store or online, I am a 顾客. But if I rent a place, a car or consistently have products being shipped to me (usually under a contract), then I am a 客户. </p>

<p>In other words, 客户 is someone who you have an established agreement with.
顾客 is just someone who purchase from you.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-02T20:34:48.310Z
2016-02-02T20:34:48.310Z
Ling Xing
<p>顾客 is a customer, people who buy goods or services, especially from a shop.</p>
<p>客户 is a client, for whom professional or organizations provides professional goods or services.</p>
<p>So there are mainly 2 differences between these two words：</p>
<p>1 客户 sounds more formal and professional compared with 顾客。</p>
<p>2 顾客 is more used for ordinary customers, especially for shops, and small businesses.</p>
<p>But there is also an obvious trend that we use 客户 more often than before to make our customers feel more comfortable and to show respect.
Hope this can help.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-13T08:06:42.310Z
2022-06-13T08:06:42.310Z
Henryfrombeijing
<p>in S.E. Asia, we only use 顾客 for clients and customers or any person or group involved or taking part in buying our products n services in our daily business.</p>

<p>Whilst 客户, funnily I only find it in newspapers. So I guess it's only for written Chinese.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-11T02:26:21.290Z
2018-09-11T02:26:21.290Z
maxvin tan
<p>顾客 always refers to people as each single person, but 客户 is always a group or organization</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-27T17:52:12.733Z
may not be "single person", Chinese doesn't have plurality and singularity. How about " 今天的顾客很多" ？
Wang Zong'an
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-08T02:52:15.173Z
Chinese single/plurality have no difference IN FORM, but single/plurality is different is Chinese.
gcd0318
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-22T04:41:01.863Z
2015-12-22T04:41:01.863Z
gcd0318
<p>This is a relatively simple question， but until now I have not consistently heard or seen a dominant choice. Is there a difference? And if so what is the difference.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-13T04:09:55.493Z
如果一个人进入一家店铺，但是没有买任何东西，也可以称他为顾客，但不能称他为客户。不过在大多情况下，客户则是可以叫做顾客的。
xenophōn
<word-choice>
What is the difference between 顾客 and 客户？
# What is the difference between 顾客 and 客户？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-12-21)

This is a relatively simple question， but until now I have not consistently heard or seen a dominant choice. Is there a difference? And if so what is the difference.

**Tags:** word-choice

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 如果一个人进入一家店铺，但是没有买任何东西，也可以称他为顾客，但不能称他为客户。不过在大多情况下，客户则是可以叫做顾客的。  

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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-01-27. Score: 3

顾客 can be explained as "a guest(客) who visits(顾) our shop," that is, a customer. Its opposite side is a retailer.  
客户 (client) often refers to one or more people who comes to negotiate a business. Its opposite side is a company or a self employed person (e.g. a psychiatrist or a lawyer). I believe both words appear under Western influence.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2016-02-02. Score: 2

客户 (client) is more formal, also it is used to refer to repeat or long term customers.

顾客 (customer) is more casual, most of time it is used to refer to shopper or diner, people who are not purchasing on a regular basis.

for example, if I ordered something from a store or online, I am a 顾客. But if I rent a place, a car or consistently have products being shipped to me (usually under a contract), then I am a 客户.

In other words, 客户 is someone who you have an established agreement with.
顾客 is just someone who purchase from you.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2022-06-13. Score: 1

顾客 is a customer, people who buy goods or services, especially from a shop.

客户 is a client, for whom professional or organizations provides professional goods or services.

So there are mainly 2 differences between these two words：

1 客户 sounds more formal and professional compared with 顾客。

2 顾客 is more used for ordinary customers, especially for shops, and small businesses.

But there is also an obvious trend that we use 客户 more often than before to make our customers feel more comfortable and to show respect.
Hope this can help.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2018-09-11. Score: 0

in S.E. Asia, we only use 顾客 for clients and customers or any person or group involved or taking part in buying our products n services in our daily business.

Whilst 客户, funnily I only find it in newspapers. So I guess it's only for written Chinese.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2015-12-22. Score: -2

顾客 always refers to people as each single person, but 客户 is always a group or organization

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: may not be "single person", Chinese doesn't have plurality and singularity. How about " 今天的顾客很多" ？  
> **username_6**: Chinese single/plurality have no difference IN FORM, but single/plurality is different is Chinese.  

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