The person getting their car repaired at an auto shop is an example of a/an ______________.

• A. External customer
• B. Internal customer
• C. Vendor
• D. Employee

Answer: (A)

Understanding who counts as a customer in service settings helps you know whom the business is serving in that moment. The person bringing a car to the shop is an external customer: they are outside the organization and are the recipient of the shop’s services. External customers are those from outside the business who rely on its products or services. Internal customers, in contrast, are coworkers or departments within the same company that rely on each other to get work done. A vendor is someone who supplies goods or services to the business, not the recipient of the service. An employee is someone who works for the business. So the car owner is an external customer who expects reliable, respectful service and clear communication from the shop.