From a jet-setter to ordinary consumer, what happened?

August 11, 2009 5:17 AM

Having enjoyed my share of jet travel both locally and across the globe for the last couple of decades I was surprised last week on an interstate Qantas flight at the persistent use of the word "customer" in the inflight communications rather than the usual "passenger".

Considering it appears to be, in Australia, mainly Virgin Blue who encourages ad lib customer communications, this usage peaked my curiosity and I'm hoping anyone actually doing or having dreamed up these communications can shed some light.

(Nothwithstanding the title of my post, I did not experience any change in the friendliness of the crew or the quality of service.)

posted by l'esprit d'escalier to Writing & Language (7 answers total)

I noticed this as well. And I'm not even sure it's supposed to sound VB-style casual either - seems more personal, but slightly more formal as well. Other airlines refer to customers as 'guests' etc. as well...
posted by ryanbryan at 5:48 AM on August 11, 2009

It's just part of the consumerisation of everyday life. Passengers become customers. Citizen becomes consumer. Patient becomes client.

You become, not a passenger, but an instrument of profit and efficiency. A delightful product of neoliberal economics.
posted by knapah at 6:59 AM on August 11, 2009 [2 favorites]

You seem to be reading a negative light into customer vs. passenger, while I would think Qantas feels the opposite. That you are customers to be pleased, rather than passengers that are merely carried.
posted by smackfu at 7:08 AM on August 11, 2009

Virgin American says "guest."
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 7:10 AM on August 11, 2009

around here (Canada) they stopped calling a doctor's patients "patients" and started calling them "clients."

i suspect it's part of a larger trend towards depersonalizing relationships in preparation for commercializing them, but i might just be paranoid.
posted by klanawa at 9:08 AM on August 11, 2009 [1 favorite]

Announcements on the DC Metro system are also now addressed to "customers." To me, it's related to "No Problem" instead of "You're Welcome."
posted by Rash at 9:42 AM on August 11, 2009 [1 favorite]

British Rail have been doing it for 20 years - still makes me want to heave.
posted by southof40 at 1:16 PM on August 11, 2009 [1 favorite]