kèhù

kèhù (客户; Simplified; Traditional 客戶; pinyin kèhù) is a Mandarin term that denotes a customer or client—an individual or organization that purchases goods or services from a business. In formal Chinese, 客户 is widely used in marketing, sales, and customer service to refer to business customers and to consumers in both B2B and B2C contexts alike.

Etymology and nuance: The character 客 means “guest” and 户 means “household,” together signaling someone who is served by a business. While 顾客 is also used to mean customer, 客户 tends to carry a more formal or professional tone, especially in corporate or legal contexts. In everyday speech, 顾客 or 用户 may appear depending on context.

Usage and context: In practice, managing 客户 relationships is central to business strategy. Terms like 客户关系管理 (CRM) refer to systems and practices for acquiring, maintaining, and tailoring services to customers. The concept spans both B2B and B2C and is tied to customer retention, satisfaction, and after-sales support. Some differences with 终端用户 (end user) or 用户 include scope; 客户 is a party to a commercial relationship, whereas 用户 emphasizes the person who uses a product or service, which might be broader (for example, a user within an organization).

Regional and related terms: In Mainland China, 客户 is standard; traditional Chinese usage in Taiwan and other regions uses 客戶. Related terms include 顾客 (shopper or client in everyday language), 客源 (customer base), and 销售线索 (sales leads).