Internal service barometers : Conceptualization and empirical results of a pilot study in Switzerland

This paper deals with services provided within an organization, outlining a model to measure internal customer satisfaction and perceptions of internal quality. Adapting the concept of the service profit chain which is used still frequently to illustrate the relationship between external customer satisfaction and economic success, this article proposes that the external service quality can be attained only after internal performance prerequisites have been investigated and optimized. Additionally, it introduces the concept of an internal service barometer, and presents the results of an empirical study to evaluate the relationships between internal service quality, internal customer satisfaction and internal customer retention.