There are a few ways to decide who picks the arbitrator. Depending on how the agreement was written, one party may get to pick, or both parties may need to come

There are a few ways to decide who picks the arbitrator. Depending on how the agreement was written, one party may get to pick, or both parties may need to come to a mutual agreement. I recently saw one where each party picks an arbitrator, and those 2 arbitrators then decide on a 3rd party to be the final arbitrator. So yes, the customer may have a long-term relationship with the arbitrator and may even pay them. It depends entirely on the situation. (For example, I know an arbitrator that I have used in the past and would be willing to use again.)