12 Different Types of Customers and How To Handle Them

Understanding the different types of customers is at the heart of running a successful business in the UK, no matter the size or niche. 

This valuable knowledge can help you craft rewarding customer support strategies, intelligently manage your sales funnel, and invest your resources in the most adequate ways for maximum results. 

In the following sections, we dive deep into what are the different types of customers and offer insights on how to handle each one. 

Why Understanding Customer Types Matters  

No matter how excellent your products or services are, failing to understand customer needs can be detrimental. This lack of information can lead to unmet customer expectations, gaps in customer service, and significant investments that may never pay off. 

But understanding who your customers are goes beyond simply putting an age bracket, a location, and an occupation in a report. It extends to truly understanding who these people are and how they differ from one another. 

Having these insights means that you can improve sales performance, customer experience, and ultimately – retention. After all, dealing with different customer groups demands tailored communications and diverse service strategies.

This personalisation and flexibility can span from the way you handle payments to the way you communicate via your marketing. When understanding the different types of clients, think about customer motivations, behaviour, and expectations throughout the customer journey.

Here are the most popular types of customers and what you need to know about them.

The Main Types Of Customers (With Handling Strategies)  

Not all customers behave the same way. Treating them as if they do is one of the quickest ways to lose sales, loyalty, and trust. 

Customers often fall into one of the following categories:

• Perspective customers
• New customers
• Window-shopping customers
• Determined customers
• Promotion-driven customers 
• Impulse customers
• Loyal customers
• Brand advocates 
• Churned customers
• Angry customers
• Referred customers
• International customers

Here’s what differentiates one from another and what you can do to satisfy each.

1. Prospective Customers  

Prospective customers can also be referred to as lookers or researchers. These are the people who are still on the lookout for potential solutions to their problem but are not yet fully convinced. 

This group of people will show interest in your brand via activities like visiting your website, signing up for your email newsletters, or engaging with your social media posts. However, they’re still not at the stage of making a purchase decision. 

To close a prospective customer, it’s essential to build trust and support them a little longer before they’re ready to buy. Some of the things you can do include:

• Offering a free trial or demo of your service; 
• Offering a money-back guarantee on a product in case it doesn’t meet their expectations;
• Providing informational and educational content in the form of comparison charts, infographics, and blog posts;
• Implementing live chat pop-ups on your website to answer questions or provide extra support. 

All of these options aim to build trust and help users understand the value you’re offering through your products or services. 

2. New Customers  

New customers are the ones who have just recently made their first purchase and have now entered your customer base.

This is a very specific and unique point in the customer relationship, as these are the people who are most open and receptive to what you have to say and offer as a brand. You can think of this group as the most active, meaning it’s fundamental that you do your best to build loyalty and prove that they’ve made the right decision by choosing you. With the right strategy, you can even turn your new customers into brand advocates in the long run. 

You can do this via:

• Providing clear post-purchase guidance with things like how-to-use instructions, extra information on a service, or FAQ insights;
  
• Providing social proof that will offer reassurance for your brand through reviews, ratings, and customer testimonials;
  
• Creating a personalised welcome email that will show your new customers that they truly matter to you and, if possible, make them feel part of a wider community;
  
• Offering timely support in case new shoppers need help using your product or service;
  
• Investing in an excellent onboarding service;
  
• Building the relationship by asking for customer feedback and process evaluations. 

This is also the time to impress with flexible payment options, whether it’s an in-store card machine or a preferred online payment method. 

For example, a study shows that around 62% of people prefer to pay with debit or credit cards, although this may varyfrom sector to sector. 

3. Window-Shopping Customers  

As the name suggests, window shoppers are the people who simply browse with no clear intention of making an instant purchase decision. 

In most cases, window-shoppers aren’t specifically targeting your brand or even the products or services that you’re offering. They’re simply exploring the options on the market. However, there are things you can do to support window-shopping customers and potentially motivate them to buy. 

You can do so by capturing attention via:

• Remarketing through email messages, paid advertising campaigns, or social outreach to encourage these potential shoppers to engage with your brand;
  
• Sending special discount codes to specific window shoppers if you notice that they’ve stayed on your checkout page for some time without making a purchase;
  
• Offering extensive customer support to answer questions or handle potential objections that may be preventing the purchase. 

Keep in mind that window-shopping customers are among the uncertain groups, where investing in persuasion strategies won’t always pay off. 

4. Determined Customers  

Determined customers, on the other hand, are the ones who know exactly what they want and have a clear intention to purchase.

People in this category have already done their research. They’ve compared brands, prices, features and functionalities, and have made a decision. All they’re after now is a convenient, quick, and easy buying experience. 

For businesses, it’s crucial that you handle determined customers with care and attention by providing an excellent experience with your brand. 

You can do so through the following:

• Make your shopping experience quick, easy, and secure to make sure these shoppers don’t choose a competitor over you.
  
• Provide bottom-of-the-funnel content showcasing that you’re the best choice on the market and explain how you differ from the rest.
  
• Ensure you have trained employees ready to answer any last-minute questions or post-shopping inquiries.

Reducing checkout friction is perhaps the most important goal when handling determined customers. Make sure you’re working with reliable card machines and have a seamless online checkout journey.

5. Promotion-Driven Customers  

Promotion-driven customers are those mainly attracted by discounts or offers. In fact, some promotion-driven shoppers only purchase goods during sales promotions. 

Knowing that price reductions are a powerful incentive here, you can use this to your advantage and implement strategic offers to encourage long-term retention. Remember that quality is not a priority here - price is.

So what can you do to support this customer group? Here are a few ideas:

• Use limited-time offers and transparent communication to build and retain trust.
  
• Create loyalty incentives that go beyond promotions to emphasise long-term value.
  
• Offer continued product support to make sure they’re satisfied with the product after purchase. 

Needless to say, implementing a reliable onboarding service is also key. This will help teach new shoppers the value of your product or service, encouraging them to come back for more in the future. 

6. Impulse Customers  

The shoppers who make quick, emotion-based buying decisions fall under the category of impulse customers. 

This buyer group doesn’t usually require extensive research to make a purchase decision. For businesses, this means that you don’t have to invest heavily in presenting an impressive value proposition. In fact, the best way to handle this group is to simply let them act without much interference. 

However, to appeal to them in the first place, here are a few ideas:

• Make the shopping experience simple and enjoyable. Keep it short to prevent lost interest and eliminate potential distractions, like pop-ups, information gathering, and sign-up forms.
  
• Keep your checkout process quick and easy, and make sure you have autofill functionalities.
  
• Ensure there’s always an employee available to communicate with this group and that your products are in stock.
  
• Encourage impulse shoppers to spend more through timely upsells and cross-sells at different touch points.
  
• Offer excellent post-sale service, as these shoppers often miss the fine print and are likely to require extra help after purchase.
   
• Provide an excellent, safe, and fast payment process to ensure that impulse shoppers don’t choose your competitors over you. For example, one-tap card payments are an excellent option.

Keep in mind that you can turn impulsive buyers into loyal customers by offering things like special discounts and building a relationship after the initial sale. 

7. Loyal Customers  

Loyal customers are perhaps one of the most valuable buyer groups for any business. These are your repeat customers who have strong trust in the brand and intentionally choose it despite the alternatives.

These are the shoppers who have already gotten to know your brand and love what they see. However, taking loyal customers for granted could lead to losing a valuable income stream. 

To retain your loyal shoppers and maintain customer engagement, you can do the following:

• Make this group feel seen by sharing their success stories with the rest. For example, consider case studies or spotlight articles.
   
• Show them that you care through special loyalty programs designed just for them. This is a powerful way to foster long-term relationships while gathering priceless insights on behaviour.
   
• Invest in personalised experiences to strengthen the bond between you and your loyal customers even more. Invest in things like personalised emails for birthdays, anniversaries with the brand, or other important dates or events.
  
• Most importantly, learn from these shoppers by collecting feedback and making adjustments where necessary.

Note that loyal customers can potentially turn into brand advocates if handled properly. Pamper this group and explore every avenue to meet and exceed their expectations. 

8. Brand Advocates  

Brand advocates are a step above loyal customers. This group represents the people who not only shop from you but also promote your brand to others. 

Customer advocacy is a core pillar when shaping a successful brand. It is absolutely essential that businesses nurture these shoppers to the best of their abilities. 

Needless to say, promoting brand advocacy requires strategic customer communication:

• Communicate with these users openly and ask for honest feedback and testimonials on social media and other channels whenever possible.
  
• Create special referral programs for these shoppers to demonstrate how much you appreciate them and their support for your business.
  
• Make sure your team is capable of offering on-time service to these buyers and is available to answer any questions at all times. 

Like loyal customers, brand advocates are the golden ticket to business growth. Appreciate these shoppers in every way possible and encourage them to spread the word about your brand even more. 

9. Churned Customers  

Another important shopper group is the churned customers - the former shoppers who stopped purchasing for one reason or another. 

This is an incredibly interesting group. You’ve once managed to attract their interest, but at some point in the buyer journey, they abandoned your brand. 

These are the people who can help expose gaps in your onboarding, pricing, communication, or customer retention. In other words, they can help you make key adjustments for improvement. The good news is you can also win them back.

You can return these shoppers to your sales pipeline by doing the following:

• Communicate and ask for feedback on what you did wrong in the first place. Find out why they left the brand so you can make corrections where necessary.
  
• Use channels like email to send out personalised messages reminding them of your relationship in the past, pointing out the changes you’ve made to spark interest again.
  
• Win them back by offering a personalised or exclusive discount or promotion as a way to get a second chance to meet expectations. 

Don’t forget to use retargeting and better service communication as a way to build back trust and rebuild the relationship. 

10. Angry Or Difficult Customers

Angry customers have made a purchase but have faced issues with the brand that have made them generally dissatisfied.

Just like with churned customers, you can use this group to find out what your weaknesses are and invest in changes that will lead to better results in the future. 

Handling difficult customers can happen in a variety of ways:

• No matter whether you think the person is right or wrong, show empathy and apologise on behalf of the brand. It’s important that you build a customer service voice with a friendly and understanding tone.
  
• Be timely with your responses. Frustrated customers are already angry - the last thing they want is to wait for hours before they can resolve the problem.
   
• Offer a solution as quickly as possible. Make sure you have trained your staff to respond adequately in such situations, providing reasonable alternatives. 

Most importantly, be consistent with your communication when dealing with angry or difficult customers. Invest in conflict management training for your employees and ensure everyone is on the same page. 

11. Referred Customers  

Referred customers are the ones who find out about your products or services from a friend or family member who has already engaged with your brand. 

This group is like a sweet spot for businesses, as the brand hasn’t directly spent money on acquisition for these shoppers. Instead, they’re a result of good work that has already been done for other customer groups, like brand advocates and loyal shoppers. 

Despite this, to make sure referred customers keep coming back, you’ll need to support them by:

• Delivering an outstanding onboarding service, proving that they’ve made the right choice and that they can fully exploit the benefits of your products or services;
  
• Appointing a dedicated contact point for these buyers, ensuring they feel valued and valued at every stage of their journey with the brand;
  
• Being consistent in your communication and ask for suggestions on how you can improve your service. 

With referred customers, building trust early is key. Make the entire experience seamless and consider investing in referral rewards or loyalty bonuses. 

12. International Customers  

Last but not least are the international customers - the buyers who are located outside the UK. 

Having international customers is inevitable in today’s highly globalised marketplace, even if they are not a priority for business growth at the moment. 

This group can be challenging to handle simply because of geographical differences, legal differentiations, and other factors based on location. 

However, to support these shoppers, you can do the following:

• Consider how different time zones can affect convenience when engaging with your brand (deliveries, communication, customer service).
  
• Be aware of currency preferences and international payment methods that you can use to boost convenience and security.
  
• Provide multilingual communication and shipping clarity to prevent confusion and dissatisfaction.
  
• Make sure you’re also creating localised content to serve this group. For example, customise website copy and social media pages to fit the language and cultural preferences of this group.

International customers can be a powerful step towards exploring different markets and increasing your market share abroad. 

Understanding Customer Motivations And Behaviour  

When dealing with diverse customer groups, it’s fundamental that you are aware of the different customer behaviours. 

There are a range of emotional, rational, and situational factors that drive purchase decisions. For example, feelings such as trust, excitement, fear of missing out, or desire for status can all influence shopping behaviour. 

Prices, quality, functionality, reviews, and value for money are also factors that can’t be neglected. 

For instance, in the UK, since the start of the cost-of-living crisis in 2021, nearly 40% of shoppers admit that they are doing their best to avoid impulse purchases. At the same time, other research shows that 41% of consumers pay more for a durable product. 

It’s essential that businesses maintain awareness of rising consumer trends and are prepared to make adjustments to meet expectations. Fоr example, nearly 25% of UK consumers are prepared to pay more for products made with ethical working practices.

By understanding consumer behaviour trends, you can align your sales approach, tone, and payment options with customer needs. 

Creating A Personalised Customer Experience  

The truth is that creating a personalised service for customers is no longer a competitive advantage - it’s an expectation. 

Studies show that 75% of Gen Z and 70% of Millennials expect brands to personalise website experiences, while 66% of Gen Z and 60% of Millennials expect businesses to understand their individual needs and interests. 

Customers want to feel recognised, understood, and valued at every stage of their journey. Personalisation goes beyond addressing customers by name. It involves customer segmentation that can help tailor services, communication, and offers to match individual needs and behaviours.

Improving Customer Retention And Loyalty  

Customer retention and customer loyalty are built over time through consistent, positive experiences. 

Retaining existing customers is not only more cost-effective than acquiring new ones, but it also creates a stable foundation for long-term growth. And needless to say, customer satisfaction is the starting point of loyalty. 

When expectations are met (or exceeded), customers are more likely to return. Satisfaction also depends on product quality, service reliability, ease of interaction, and emotional connection with the brand.

Ultimately, loyalty grows when customers feel confident that their needs will continue to be met.

Reliable payment processing and frictionless checkout experiences also directly impact retention. Customers are less likely to return if payments fail, refunds are delayed, or checkout feels complicated. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are customer groups?

Customer groups are segments of customers who share similar characteristics, needs, or behaviours. Businesses use customer groups to tailor products, services, communication, and pricing to specific audiences rather than treating all customers the same.

Why is it important to identify different customers?

Identifying customer groups helps businesses deliver more relevant experiences, improve customer satisfaction, and increase conversion rates. It also allows companies to allocate marketing and sales resources more efficiently.

How does personalisation relate to customers?

Personalisation uses insights from customer groups to tailor messaging, offers, and experiences. When businesses understand different customer groups, they can communicate in ways that feel relevant and valuable to each segment.

Can a customer belong to more than one customer type at the same time?

Yes. Customers often shift between types depending on context. For example, a loyal customer may behave like a promotion-driven shopper during sales periods, or a determined customer may start as a window shopper before converting. Effective strategies account for fluid movement between segments.

How often should customer segmentation be reviewed or updated?

Customer segmentation should be reviewed at least quarterly, or whenever there are major changes such as new product launches, pricing updates, economic shifts, or changes in customer behaviour. Static customer groups can quickly become outdated and reduce effectiveness.

What KPIs should businesses track for different customer types?

Relevant KPIs vary by customer type but may include conversion rate (prospective customers), repeat purchase rate (loyal customers), average order value (impulse customers), churn rate (at-risk or churned customers), and referral volume (brand advocates). Tracking the right KPIs helps optimise strategies per group.

Are customer types influenced by economic conditions?

Yes. External factors such as inflation, cost-of-living pressures, or market uncertainty can increase the number of promotion-driven or cautious customers, while reducing impulse buying. Businesses should adapt messaging, pricing strategies, and payment flexibility during economic shifts.

How do payment preferences vary across different customer types?

Determined and impulse customers prioritise speed and simplicity, while international customers focus on currency options and local payment methods. Loyal customers expect consistency and reliability. Aligning payment options with customer expectations reduces friction and abandonment.