atw: Re: Customer's point of view vs Customers' point of view

Howard, Bob and John, 
 
Thank you so much for your input. I think customer's point of view sounds best 
and your 
example of Mother's day does solidify my opinion that customers' point of view 
is incorrect even though, as you say, 
it could be argued either way.  I cannot justify why it is done from a strictly 
grammatical point of view which is really where I am hoping to pin it back down 
to 
so I can settle the issue once and for all.. I might post to the English forum 
I am a member of.. 
 
Will let you know what they say.. 
 
Cheers
Nikki 



> To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: atw: Re: Customer's point of view 
> vs Customers' point of view> From: Howard.Silcock@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Mon, 
> 21 Aug 2006 13:08:40 +1000> > I don't think it's true that several customers 
> can't share a point of > view. In this case it seems to me that the 
> distinction is between one > point of view shared by all customers and, say, 
> one shared by the > developers (and perhaps one shared by another group of 
> people too - > doesn't really matter). > > But even if you agree with me that 
> there's only one point of view that > Nikki's referring to, that still 
> doesn't settle what you call it. Should > it  be a "customer's point of view" 
> or a "customers' point of view"? I > think you could make out a case for 
> either, but I tend to agree with Bob > and would call it a "customer's point 
> of view", using the same kind of > logic that we use when we refer to 
> "Mother's Day" - ie, even though there > are lots of mothers out there, I 
> imagine the day as being named with > reference to a kind of generic family, 
> in which the mother is singled out > for attention. Similarly, in Nikki's 
> case, though there could be many > customers, the point of view could be 
> associated with a kind of 'generic' > customer - that is, we're only 
> visualising one at a time (as Bob says).> > However, at the risk of starting 
> up another fight, I'd resist the capital > letter in Customer. In my 
> experience, software developers tend to overuse > capital letters. I can't 
> see any need for one here (even a generic - ie > uninstantiated - customer 
> isn't really like God). > > Howard> > Howard Silcock> Technical Writer> 
> Electronic Systems> ADI Limited> PO Box 14, Deakin, ACT 2600> Ph. +61 2 6234 
> 6075> Fax +61 2 6234 6011> Email: howard.silcock@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Web 
> page: www.adi-limited.com > > > > > "Nikki Ward" <ezistep@xxxxxxxxxxx>> Sent 
> by: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 21/08/2006 11:21 AM> Please respond 
> to austechwriter> >  >         To:     austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>         
> cc: >         Subject:        atw: Customer's point of view vs Customers' 
> point of view> > > Hi there... > > Recently I had an argument with one of our 
> developers who is also a dab > hand at technical writing:> > he wrote: > > 
> The xyz-blah database will be extended to deliver these instead.  No > change 
> should be apparent from the Customers' point of view.> > I edited it to 
> read:> > The xyz-blah database will be extended to deliver these instead.  No 
> > change should be apparent from the Customer's point of view.> > > I 
> explained to him that if he was to put Customers as a plural with an > 
> apostrophe at the end of the plural, then it will also necessitate that > 
> 'point of view' should also be pluralised because it belongs to the > 
> 'Customers' which then will be written as Customers' Points of View which > 
> is > absolutely incorrect.> > > I tend to do things rather intuitively but 
> when questioned I wasn't quite > certain that I was right or not... > > Could 
> you verify whether I am on the right track or not.. > > Thanks, > Nikki 
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