Consumer and retail perceptions of product failure: Who is responsible?

The purpose of this study was to compare consumers' and retailers' perceptions of product failure in particular types of product categories. An hypothesis relating to discrepancies between consumers and retailers with regard to causes of product failure, locus of blame, and actions for preventing recurrances was proposed and empirically tested. Data were gathered from a systematic random sample of 120 consumers and 60 retailers. Complaints about products recently bought by subjects in the sample were analysed to determine how commonly products fail. Results imply that perceptual differences may occur regarding consumers' and retailers' explanations for product failure, indicating possible areas of consumer frustration. Complaints analysed identified household appliances as a major failure category.

Opsomming Die doel van hierdie studie is om verbruikers en kleinhandelaars se waarnemings van produkmislukking in geval van spesifieke produk kategoriee te vergelyk. 'n Hipotese dat verskille wel bestaan tussen die waarnemings van verbruikers en kleinhandelaars ten opsigte van oorsake vir produkmislukking, bron van blaam en voorkomendc optrede word gestel en empirics getoets. Data is verkry d.m.v. 'n sistematiese ewekansige steckproef met 120 verbruikers en 60 kleinhandelaars. As deel van die studie is klagtes oor produkte onlangs aangekoop deur proefpersone in die steekproef betrek, ontleed. Resultate impliseer dat waarnemingsverskille mag voorkom m.b.t. verbruikers en kleinhandelaars se verduidelikings vir produkmislukking. Dit kan moontlike areas van verbruikersfrustrasie aandui. Klagtes ontleed deur die opname, hot huishoudelike toebehore as 'n hoofkategorie vir produkmislukking geidentifiseer