Purpose This study aims to investigate the empowering and constraining effects of performance measurement. The levers of control perspective emphasises the fact that interactive processes play an important role in balancing these effects. This paper proposes to extend the analysis of effects in this literature, by looking at them in conjunction with the role of dialogue. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyses a longitudinal case study of the use of user satisfaction indicators in the reception of a French local authority. The data were collected using a three-year longitudinal case study method from semi-directive interviews and participations at meetings. Findings The case study shows that performance measurement was introduced to encourage reception employees to make changes to the experience of service users. Employees were involved in the design phase of the survey and in the development of proposals. The dialogue approach represented a way of encouraging employees to agree to accept changes. However, this dialogue offered greater empowerment of employees by the managers. Research limitations/implications Further work would be needed to enrich the characteristics of the dialogue and its effects on other performance measurement systems. Practical implications The dialogue between employees and managers was designed to be interactive and created a situation with both empowering and constraining effects. The method of organisation, involving regular meetings with formal tasks to be accomplished at each meeting, appears significant for the evolution of the effects. Originality/value We extend the levers of control perspective to demonstrate the importance of the dialogue in balancing the effects. The case study makes it easier to understand how the empowering effects are related to the objective of constraint in the dialogue approach, and how these effects evolve.