How to evaluate and up-grade technical service

The factory technical support function is known to be critical to a successful field selling effort, particularly in high-technology environments. However, the relationship between technical support and the personal selling function is often characterized by poor communication between the two organizational systems. The literature of internal marketing and service quality provides a rich knowledge base that can be used to improve coordination between factory technical support and field sales. This article reports a study performed in a high-technology industry that applied internal marketing and service quality concepts to improve coordination between factory technical support and field sales. The study is described including managerial actions that were taken in response to study results.