Impact of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction in Women's Apparel Retail The Mediating Role of Customer Trust

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the influence of five SERVQUAL dimensions (Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, Empathy and Tangibility) on customer trust and whether customer trust builds customer satisfaction of upper middle class female customers in the organised women apparel retailing industry in Pakistan.

Methodology: 357 females shoppers were randomly selected at six brand name shops at the exits of Khaadi, Sapphire, Alkaram Studio, Gul Ahmed, Limelight and Sana Safinaz and were asked about the cross sectional survey which had a wide range of questions asking for the perception of women empowerment in these retail stores. 100,000 to Rs. 200,000. For the five SERVQUAL dimensions as predictors of trust, multiple regression was used, for the test of satisfaction as a predictor of trust simple regression was used, and for the confirmation of the indirect paths bootstrapped mediation, 5,000 resample was used.

Findings: The hypotheses were accepted at the .001 level. Reliability (beta = 0.276) and Assurance (0.263) were the most important factors that contributed to trust, followed by Empathy (0.262), Responsiveness (0.241) and Tangibility (0.154). There was a strong positive relationship between trust and satisfaction (beta = 0.746) and trust fully mediated all paths.

Originality/Value: This is the first Pakistan Mediation Study which is conducted using all the five dimensions of SERVQUAL as mediators between service quality dimensions and trust in the context of branded women clothing market in Pakistan. The Conclusions offer guidance as to what retailers need to invest in, and a policy rationale for minimum standards of service provision in retail.

Keywords: Service Quality, SERVQUAL, Customer Trust, Customer Satisfaction, Upper Middle Income Segment, Women's Apparel Retail and Mediation.

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22763093