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Intense competition in banking has forced retail banks to take greater interest in customer‐oriented approaches. Because of the increased interest in consumer banking and consumer responses to banking activity, bankers need better ways to evaluate their performance in the consumer banking area. The relationship between the marketing orientation of a bank and consumer satisfaction with its retail operations is examined, using a questionnaire sent to the marketing manager/general manager of each full licence bank in Singapore. Efficiency and courtesy are the most important attributes to customer satisfaction, followed by location convenience. By identifying the order of importance of attributes managers can concentrate their promotional and operational efforts on the more important attributes to achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction.

In services marketing, the employee plays a central role in attracting, building and maintaining relationships with customers. The recognition of the central role of employees in service marketing has given rise to “internal marketing” programs strongly oriented to employee development. This paper explores the linkage between internal marketing activities (directed at employee recruitment, training, motivation, communication, and retention) and the more traditional external marketing activities (e.g., pricing, advertising, and personal selling). An examination of the relationship between the key elements of the services marketing management model (internal and external marketing, employee attitudes and behavior, and customer attitudes and behavior) demonstrates how service managers can enhance customer loyalty, satisfaction and perception of quality.

Concepts of internal marketing and external marketing in the context of service firms are here discussed and examined for their effects on consumer satisfaction. These concepts in the context of foreign and domestic banks in Thailand are focused upon. The results show differences between banks and a strong relationship between internal marketing and consumer satisfaction. The effective practice of internal marketing appears to influence the effectiveness of external marketing programmes influencing customer satisfaction.