The 6 Main Types of Customer

In my Customer Service experience, I learned a lot about the importance of the Customer Service a business provides and how comprehensive that concept can be. Customers can actually choose a more expensive product because they have been well catered for, which can be reflected in a variety of elements: personal communication, transparency, reliability, practicality, logistics, common sense. But trust me: this would be content for a whole other blog.

In one of my training courses, I also consolidated the always interesting knowledge (as it taps our most basic instincts and psych) that there are generally six types of customers.

1. Bargain customers – who buy mainly when there are discounts or a reduction in price
2. Impulse customers – which are exactly as it says on the tin (hard to convince)
3. Need-based customers – which, again, will only buy as and when they need a product
4. Wandering customers – probably the least profitable type of customers, the ones that don’t know what to buy
5. Internal customers – company staff and partner businesses

A successful business should be prepared for five types of customers. Although two of them don’t need much advertising work done, they still have considerable buying potential. 

Walk with me.

Bargain Customers

These are customers without specific needs. These customers are looking for the rewarding feeling of a good buy. The good-buy may not necessarily be of especially good quality but it fulfils the purpose, regardless of what that purpose is. 

Impulse Customers 

Although I am really tempted to say “women”, this is not always the case. The old gender gap in this type of customers is currently quite balanced out. Men enjoy shopping today more than ever before (some probably more than women!). And we know men impulses have evolved… Impulse customers will make a purchase on a spur of the moment, without any initial intention.

Need-based Customers

Premeditated customers. These the customers that make shopping and wishlists lists. But don’t take them for fools, they will still look for their products in comparison websites for the best deal. The need is real and the purchase will happen, as soon as they find the best suitable deal.

Wandering Customers

I see these as the extreme opposites of the impulse customers (I could also say “men” but I will refrain). The window-shoppers. The people that have no intention of buying when they leave the house. 

Internal Customers

The customers that are not seen as customers but as colleagues or business partners, but develop into spot customers when they find a good deal, business perks that tend to come up every so often.

What have we learned?

• All business interaction IS customer service
• Always have a bargain deal up your sleeve, just in case
• Offer tailored-package option deals, you will widen the customer range
• Create the need, gain a customer.