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The quality of the physical distribution service industrial purchasers receive from suppliers has been shown to be an important consideration in industrial purchasing decisions. To better understand the criteria used to assess physical distribution service quality, the authors examined the literature on physical distribution and service quality and conducted interviews with purchasing managers. Based on the results of the literature reviews and interviews, plus a two-step data-gathering process, a valid and reliable measurement instrument for perceptions of physical distribution service quality (PDSQ) was developed and refined.
Research has suggested that physical distribution service quality (PDSQ) plays a pivotal role in industrial purchasing decisions (Perreault and Russ 1974, 1976), but no valid and reliable instrument exists for measuring industrial customers' perceptions of this service. Such an instrument is necessary for investigating and managing the relationship between industrial customers' perceptions of their suppliers' PDSQ and future purchase intentions. Investigation of this relationship has implications for the link between PDSQ and business profitability. An appropriate measurement protocol for PDSQ would enhance understanding of how purchasing managers perceive PDSQ and facilitate the development of strategies for influencing industrial purchasing decisions.
Although there is a growing body of research in marketing on service quality, the majority of this research has been conducted by surveying or interviewing end-use consumers, that is, customers of retail services (Babakus and Boller 1992; Babakus and Inhofe 1993; Babakus and Mangold 1992; Babakus, Pedrick, and Inhofe 1993; Brown, Churchill, and Peter 1993; Carmen 1990; Cronin and Taylor 1992; Finn and Lamb 1991; Mishra, Singh, and Wood 1991; Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry 1985, 1988, 1991; Spreng and Singh 1993). One issue that has emerged from service quality research is the difficulty of replicating the dimensions contained in the SERVQUAL instrument, particularly in an industrial services context (Brensinger and Lambert 1990). From the point of view of theory development in services marketing, there is merit in attempting to extend the domain of service quality research from retail or end-use consumer services to an industrial marketing context, as well as the exploration of alternative dimensions for service quality.
The goal of this research was the development of a valid and reliable scale for measuring industrial customers' (e.g., manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, government organizations) perceptions of the physical distribution service quality...