Customers' perceptions of service quality in a hypermarket

• Main Author: Khan, Nasreen
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2001
• Subjects: Hypermarkets
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/77904/1/T%20GSM%202001%204%20%281900118306%29%20UPM%20IR.pdf; http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/77904/
• Institution: Universiti Putra Malaysia

The purpose of this study is to determine the customers' perceptions and expectations on the current level of services of a hypermarket and to determine the relative importance of SERVQUAL's five dimensions. A sample of 270 respondents who had at least once shopped at Carrefour in Johor Baru, were interviewed through questionnaires. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze respondents' profile and shopping behavior towards the hypermarket. Gap analysis was conducted by comparing the differences between perceived and expected service quality dimensions-tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. The results of the gap analysis would be the service quality of Carrefour in Johor Baru. It was found that customers have high expectation on responsiveness and low perceptions on assurance. This indicates that customers have high expectations on employees to provide prompt services and most of the customers perceived that employees are not consistent in delivering the services. Among the five service quality dimensions, assurance has the highest quality gap. It shows that employees do not have sufficient knowledge to deliver the service that customers expect. Since the assurance has the highest service quality gap, that area should be concentrated to improve the service. As a result, the firm will be able to meet or exceed the customers' expectations.