Measuring Retail Service Quality in Farm Supply Cooperatives

Based on the Retail Service Quality Scale (RSQS), we develop a tool for mangers of local farm cooperative stores to assess which customer service groups matter to their customers. Principal component analysis (PCA) reveals three customer groups. The results of the multinomial logit model showed younger patrons and homeowners are likely to deem customer service and personal interaction as important. Customers, who consider appearance and accessibility as important, are college graduates and persons dependent on farming. Older patrons and wildlife enthusiasts are likely to view the policies and reliability as important factors of service quality.

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