Customer Category Guide
This guide provides definitions and examples for our standardized Customer Categories. The aim is to ensure consistent and accurate classification of our customers, which will help us better understand our market, tailor our services, and optimize our strategies.
Customer Categories
1. Construction
Definition: Businesses engaged in constructing, renovating, or maintaining buildings, infrastructure, and other structures.
Examples:
Residential home builders
Commercial building contractors
Road and bridge construction companies
HVAC installation and repair services
Demolition companies
2. Education - Higher Ed/University
Definition: Institutions providing post-secondary education, including colleges, universities, and vocational schools offering degrees or certifications beyond high school.
Examples:
Four-year universities
Community colleges
Technical schools
Graduate schools
Vocational training institutes
3. Education - K-12
Definition: Public or private institutions providing primary and secondary education, from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Examples:
Public elementary schools
Private middle schools
High schools
School districts
Charter schools focused on K-12
4. Financial Services
Definition: Businesses involved in the management of money, including banks, investment firms, insurance companies, and credit unions.
Examples:
Commercial banks
Investment banks and brokerage firms
Insurance companies
Credit unions
Financial advisory firms
5. Government
Definition: Federal, state, local, and international governmental bodies, including administrative offices, agencies, and public services.
Examples:
City halls and municipal departments
State government agencies (e.g., DMV, health departments)
Federal agencies (e.g., EPA, Department of Defense)
Public libraries
Correctional facilities
6. Healthcare (CCRC)
Definition: Organizations providing a continuum of housing, services, and healthcare to older adults, typically from independent living through assisted living and skilled nursing care within the same campus or organization.
Examples:
Integrated senior living communities offering multiple levels of care
Retirement communities with health services on-site
Organizations managing senior living facilities that transition residents through care levels
7. Healthcare Services
Definition: Organizations providing medical care, health management, or health-related support services. This includes direct patient care, facilities, and related administrative services, excluding specific Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs).
Examples:
Hospitals (general, specialty, psychiatric)
Outpatient clinics (e.g., urgent care, dental offices, physiotherapy)
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities (stand-alone)
Medical laboratories
Home healthcare agencies
8. Hospitality & Entertainment
Definition: Businesses providing lodging, food and beverage services, recreation, or leisure activities.
Examples:
Hotels, motels, resorts
Restaurants, cafes, bars
Theme parks and amusement parks
Movie theaters, concert venues, casinos
Event planning companies
9. Manufacturing
Definition: Businesses primarily engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. This includes the assembling of component parts of manufactured products.
Examples:
Automobile manufacturers
Food processing plants
Textile mills
Electronics assembly factories
Pharmaceutical production facilities
10. National Service Provider
Definition: Businesses that provide a broad range of services on a national scale, often to multiple industries or across a wide geographic footprint, rather than being specialized within a single industry sector.
Examples:
Large-scale cleaning services operating nationwide
National facility management companies
Major uniform rental services
Multi-state security service providers
National waste management solutions (beyond local utility)
11. Non-Profit & Religious Organizations
Definition: Organizations operating for the benefit of the public or a specific cause, rather than for profit. This includes charities, foundations, and religious institutions.
Examples:
Charitable organizations (e.g., food banks, humanitarian aid)
Foundations and endowments
Churches, mosques, synagogues, temples
Community service organizations
Trade associations (non-profit based)
12. Other/Miscellaneous
Definition: Customers who do not fit clearly into any of the above categories. This category should be used sparingly and indicates a need for potential future category refinement if a significant pattern emerges.
Examples:
Very niche businesses not covered above
New types of organizations not yet classified
Unusual or one-off client engagements that don't fit existing molds
13. Professional & Business Services
Definition: Firms providing specialized expertise, support, or advisory services to other businesses or organizations, typically not on a "national service provider" scale but focused on specific professional domains.
Examples:
Consulting firms (management, IT, marketing)
Accounting and bookkeeping services
Legal firms
Advertising and public relations agencies
Staffing and recruitment agencies (regional or local)
14. Property Management (Commercial)
Definition: Companies specializing in the management, operation, and oversight of commercial real estate properties, such as office buildings, retail centers, and industrial parks.
Examples:
Companies managing office complexes
Firms overseeing shopping malls
Organizations managing industrial parks and warehouses
Property management for commercial mixed-use developments
15. Property Management (MFH)
Definition: Companies specializing in the management, operation, and oversight of multi-family housing (MFH) properties, such as large apartment complexes and managed residential communities.
Examples:
Management companies for large apartment buildings
Firms specializing in residential complex operations
Property managers for master-planned multi-family developments
16. Property Management (Residential/HOA)
Definition: Companies specializing in the management, operation, and oversight of individual residential properties, condominiums, and homeowner associations (HOAs), excluding large multi-family housing complexes.
Examples:
HOA management services
Management of individual rental homes or small condo buildings
Property management for residential community associations
Single-family home rental management firms
17. Real Estate
Definition: Businesses involved in the buying, selling, renting, or managing of properties; includes real estate agencies, developers, and appraisers.
Examples:
Residential real estate agencies
Commercial real estate brokers
Property developers
Real estate appraisers
Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
18. Residential
Definition: Individual homeowners, tenants, or residents where the engagement is directly with the individual for personal use, not tied to a business entity or a managed multi-family/HOA structure.
Examples:
Individual homeowners needing services (e.g., home repairs, landscaping)
Apartment tenants directly purchasing services
Residents in individual dwellings (not part of a managed complex)
Single-family households
19. Retail
Definition: Businesses primarily engaged in selling merchandise directly to the general public for personal or household consumption, often from a fixed location like a store or online.
Examples:
Clothing stores
Grocery stores (supermarkets)
Department stores
Online retailers (e-commerce businesses)
Home improvement stores
20. Technology & Telecommunications
Definition: Companies involved in the development, production, and distribution of technology products (software, hardware) or the provision of telecommunication services (internet, phone, data).
Examples:
Software development companies
Cloud computing providers
Telecommunication carriers (e.g., mobile, internet providers)
Computer hardware manufacturers
Cybersecurity firms
21. Transportation & Logistics
Definition: Businesses engaged in the movement of goods or people, and the planning, implementation, and control of the efficient flow and storage of goods, services, and related information.
Examples:
Trucking companies
Airlines and cargo carriers
Shipping companies (maritime)
Warehousing and storage facilities
Courier and express delivery services
22. Utilities & Energy
Definition: Companies that provide essential services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage, and waste management, as well as businesses involved in energy production and distribution.
Examples:
Electric power companies
Natural gas providers
Water and sewage treatment plants
Waste collection and recycling services
Solar and wind energy farms
23. Wholesale & Distribution
Definition: Businesses engaged in selling goods to retailers, industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers. They typically do not sell directly to the general public.
Examples:
Food and beverage distributors
Hardware wholesalers
Medical supply distributors
Industrial equipment wholesalers
Apparel distributors