Evaluation of retail service quality using analytic hierarchy process

Abstract

Purpose – The deployment of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to help the retail industry to recognize which retail service quality (RSQ) dimensions require attention to create a sustainable competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to use a comparative evaluation model to compare retail stores (supermarkets) across several RSQ dimensions, validated and tested RSQ model in the context of Indian supermarkets and explore the existence of RSQ gap by studying the difference between customers’ perception and expectations. Design/methodology/approach – This study deploys AHP in which the decision problem is broken down into hierarchy; thus customer preference involves the structuring of a hierarchy in terms of the overall objective, the selection criteria and the decision alternatives. AHP technique allows pairwise comparisons to be made among the alternatives with respect to the service dimensions. Findings – This study validated the formal RSQ scale developed by Dabholkar et al., (1996) by a modification that led to making it more suitable to the Indian context. Research limitations/implications – This research does not provide guidance on different course of action to be taken. Though this study identifies which service dimensions require improvement, it does not provide guidance on an appropriate action plan to address deficiencies. Practical implications – Prospective and existing retailers can use this instrument effectively to measure the quality of their services as perceived by customers in comparison to their competition. This work will not only help the supermarkets to improve their competitive positioning in the marketplace but will help them to identify areas of services needing improvement on priority basis. Originality/value – Application of AHP to determine the best customer preference is the first ever done in RSQ studies. It does open up another dimension for further studies.

The Effect of Service Quality on Customer Loyalty of Generation Y – An Empirical Investigation on Superstores in Bangladesh

“…The original scale consisted of 28 items under five basic dimensions. However, due to contextual differences, four items were discarded from the final questionnaire, as suggested by Deb and Lomo-David (2014), and Meng, Summey, Herndon, and Kwong (2009). Five items for physical aspect, five for reliability, three for problem solving, three for policy, and eight for personal interaction dimension from the chosen scale were finally drawn.…”

“…The problem solving issue of service quality from a retailing perspective, points to the capacity of the stores to deal with potential problems from customers such as returns, complaints, and exchanges (Dabholkar et al, 1996;Deb & Lomo-David, 2014;Jain & Aggarwal, 2018). It is evident in literature that when problems are resolved, customers will develop a positive outlook and attitude towards the store, which in turn, increases customer visits (Caruana, 2002;Ha et al, 2015;Kajenthiran, 2018;Nadiri & Tümer, 2009;Singh, 2012).…”

“…In measuring service quality in the retail context, Dabholkar et al (1996) developed and tested the validity of a five-factor hierarchical instrument, namely the Retail Service Quality Scale (RSQS), in the context of America, by taking into consideration that retailing encompasses both tangible goods and intangible services. Though the scale was implemented and further validated in both developed and developing countries such as India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam (Bhat, 2016;Boshoff & Terblanche, 1997;Das, Kumar, & Saha, 2010;Deb & Lomo-David, 2014;Jain & Aggarwal, 2016;Nguyen, Nguyen, Cao, & Phan, 2016;Sivapalan & Jebarajakirthy, 2017;Yeap Ai Leen & Ramayah, 2011), this study is limited to the retailing context of Bangladesh. Moreover, past studies that focuses on the application of the Retail Service Quality Scale (RSQS), by addressing a particular generational cohort (like Gen Y) irrespective of country and culture are rare.…”

Evaluation of eTail Services Quality: AHP Approach

“…AHP was first developed by T. L. Satty (1980) with an aim to deal with the complex decision-making process which involves multi-criteria and involvement of ranking of alternatives. Deb and Lomo-David (2014) worked on measuring the assessing quality of retail firm by employing the Retails Service Quality (RSQ) scale. The study conducted by them was done with the help of AHP technique in order to arrive at the conclusion for identifying the firm which comparatively was preferred more compared to other retail firms.…”

Exploring the Role of Complaint Handling among Complaining Consumers

“…Complaint handling or service recovery is conceptualized as a process wherein marketing activities are initiated in order to regain customer trust, lost due to a service failure and to meet customer expectations (Baksi & Parida, 2013). Effective service recovery can build a positive image of the organization and promote customer repurchase intentions and loyalty (Deb & Lomo-David, 2014;Murphy et al, 2014). Satisfactory output of service recovery results in customer trust and loyalty wherein loyalty is defined as customer's repurchase intentions and reluctance towards other service providers (Baksi & Parida, 2013).…”