Consumer Perceptions and Expectations of Garden Center Product and Service Quality

Abstract

We compared consumers' product and service quality perceptions and expectations from five traditional garden centers (TGC) and three non-traditional garden center outlets (NTO) in Charlotte, NC. Customers from both outlets had similar expectations of service and product quality. However, TGCs better met customer expectations with higher perceptions scores and smaller gap scores. Service quality gaps were the difference between customer perceptions and expectations. Gaps were identified for both outlets on four of five service quality dimensions and for the single product quality dimension. TGC and NTO customers ranked assurance and responsiveness as the most important service quality dimensions. Empathy was more important than reliability to TGC customers but their importance was reversed for NTO customers. Both customer groups ranked tangibles as the least important service quality dimension and retailers did not have a gap on this dimension.