Purpose
This article explains how terminology is used internally across Support, Product, and Development to avoid confusion when referencing customers, integrations, and reporting. While multiple terms may appear interchangeable internally, external-facing language remains consistent for customers.
Internal Terminology Usage
Internally, the following terms are considered equivalent and may be used interchangeably depending on system context or historical naming conventions:
Vendor = Tenant
Partner = Account
You may see these terms referenced differently across tools such as Zendesk, Jira, reporting dashboards, APIs, or documentation. Despite the variation, they all refer to the same underlying customer entity.
Examples:
A “tenant ID” in a database refers to the same customer as a “vendor” in a support workflow.
A “partner account” in reporting may be labeled as an “account” in Jira or other internal tools.
This interchangeable usage is intentional and reflects how different systems were designed or integrated over time.
| Context | Preferred Terms |
|---|---|
| Internal systems & discussions | Vendor = Tenant Partner = Account |
| Customer-facing communication | Vendor, Partner |
Using these guidelines ensures internal alignment while maintaining a clear and familiar experience for customers.
External (Customer-Facing) Terminology
Customers will continue to refer to themselves using the following terms:
Vendor
Partner
When communicating with customers, always use the terminology they are familiar with.
Support Team Guidance
✅ Use Tenant/Account terminology internally
✅ The customer’s language should remain Vendor/Partner in all external communications
❌ Do not correct customers or introduce internal terminology unnecessarily
❌ Avoid mixing terms within the same customer-facing message