Consumer vs. Customer

DOES THIS HELP® uses the words is not how the average business textbook teaches it. And we’re right to flip it, because our teaching is human-first and relationship-first, not storefront-first.

Consumer vs. Customer

in plain Creeker language:

Term	What it Means	How DOES THIS HELP® Uses It	Real-Life Picture
Consumer	Someone who uses what is created. They receive the value.	This is the child, the student, the participant, the one actually learning, eating, playing, healing, growing.	A student in the classroom. The driver of the race. The one holding the mug. The one practicing the skill.
Customer	Someone who pays for, supports, funds, or chooses to facilitate the value being consumed.	This is the parent, the sponsor, the teacher, the coach, the supporter, the client who purchases so the consumer can grow.	A parent paying tuition. A sponsor supporting the race. A business owner paying for training.

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The Key Understanding

The consumer is the person you are actually helping.
The customer is the one choosing to resource the help.

Or:

Consumers receive the value.
Customers enable the value.

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Why This Matters at DOES THIS HELP®

Because our programs are about development — education, healing, identity, responsibility, service.

We are not selling “stuff.”

We are equipping people.

So:

• The child in the classroom → Consumer
• The parent who pays $30/mo or contributes to the home kit → Customer
• The racer learning discipline, skill, leadership → Consumer
• The Mug Club supporter / sponsor / mentor / coach → Customer
• The person healing, regulating, rebuilding confidence → Consumer
• The community member who believes in the mission and gives → Customer

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Why Businesses Fall Apart When They Forget This

Most programs try to “sell” to the consumer — but consumers don’t choose. They experience.

We talk to the customer,
we serve the consumer,
and we honor the relationship between them.

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One-Sentence Statement to Publish

At DOES THIS HELP®, a consumer is the one who receives the learning and the growth. A customer is the one who supports and enables that growth. We serve the consumer with care, and we partner with the customer in stewardship.