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Based on feedback on this question, and also your definition that client can mean a customer, I'm going to use customer with different levels as you suggested. Thank you.
It's definitely not self imposed and I have received some pretty good answers already. You can look up the words and see that the meaning for customers (person who buys products) and client (person who buys professional services) is pretty consistent across most dictionaries.
I agree, I'm leaning towards purchaser or customer but using different tiers like silver/gold/platinum. I hadn't received any answers when I came across the term. Also vendee would only be used internally.
I already have the categories down as MετάEd mentioned so you are correct that prospect = potential, customer = products only, patron = regular customer, client = buys services, buyer approves purchase and/or signs checks (signatory). But what is the term that would include all these people inclusively?
What I'm looking for is a term that would define both. So I am looking for the term that would include both our customers (who buy products) and clients (buy services on an ongoing basis). Patron can mean a regular customer and buyer can refer to the person that signs the check or approves purchases (like a signatory).
