The effects of customer satisfaction measurement: the internal market versus the external market

Observes that while customer satisfaction measurement is currently one of the commonest prescriptions in both the marketing and management literatures, little attention has been paid to the effects of customer satisfaction measurement, particularly in terms of the impact on the internal market, i.e. the employees and managers inside the organization. Reports some of the findings of a recent study of the internal market effects of customer satisfaction measurement, and identifies a number of ways in which the use of customer satisfaction information may have negative effects within the organization, which may stand in the way of the implementation of market strategies of service and quality. This suggests a management agenda which extends far beyond the acquisition of customer satisfaction data and reporting systems, to consider the full impact of such measurement systems.