If the customer often updates * their * file? gender-neutral pronoun for client/customer

Asked Oct 22 '22 at 23:49

Active Oct 22 '22 at 23:49

Viewed 31 times

In business language, should you use singular or plural pronouns for a client or customer that stands for a company?

Could or should you say something like:

"If the customer often updates their file"

Or should you take "her" instead of "their", which I saw in times?

asked Oct 22 '22 at 23:49

questionto42

1

Let's not insult the customer, or the reader. There are workarounds like "If the customer often makes updates." – Yosef Baskin Oct 23 '22 at 00:19
4

Their seems to have been the path of least resistance for the past 20 years or so. Personally, I switched in 1981, when I was writing government contracts, and have not seen a reason to revert. – Phil Sweet Oct 23 '22 at 00:36
Yes - let's not insult the customer! – Phil Sweet Oct 23 '22 at 00:37
If you've got some sort of philosophical objection to singular their, "If customers often update their files". Note there are several questions about singular there already on this site. – Stuart F Oct 23 '22 at 11:58
4

Yawn. With *367* upvotes as I write, does this answer your question? Is there a correct gender-neutral singular pronoun ("his" vs. "her" vs. "their")? – FumbleFingers Oct 23 '22 at 13:13

0 Answers0