ผลกระทบของคุณภาพบริการต่อความภักดีผู้บริโภคของร้านขายยา ในอำเภอเมืองเชียงราย

Abstract

This independent study aimed to investigate the effect of service quality on consumer loyalty of drug stores in Mueang District, Chiang Rai province in order to understand and make use of this data as a guideline for the drug stores’ service quality formation or improvement strategic planning. Samples of this study were specified to 400 consumers who purchased medicines from either independent, chain, or franchise drug stores in Mueang District, Chiang Rai province. Questionnaires were used as the tool to collect data. Data obtained were, then, analyzed by the descriptive statistics i.e. frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation and the inferential statistics: Multiple Regression to find out the effects of service quality on consumer loyalty of drug stores in Mueang District, Chiagn Rai. The finding presented that most respondents or 208 samples were female (52%) in the age of 21-30 years old (42.50%). They were single (50.50%) and graduated with bachelor’s degree (53.25%). They were self-employed (24.50%) and earned monthly income at the average amount of 10,001-20,000 Baht (41.50%). They were the consumers of chain drug stores (46.25%) and came to any drug store at the frequency of 1-10 times per year (75%). They went to their regular drug stores at the frequency of 1-10 times per year (93.75%) and some of them (44.5%) specifically went to the same drug store at 80%-100%. Service that they received from the drug store was to purchase medicines to remedy their sickness under the instruction and advice from the pharmacists (62.25%). Results of the study on service quality of drug stores in Mueang District, Chiang Rai revealed that the overall service quality of drug stores in Mueang District, Chiang Rai was rated at a high level (with mean values of 3.95 from 5). In consideration of attributes of service quality, tangibility and reliability were rated at the highest mean values (at 3.97); followed by responsiveness and empathy (at 3.94); and assurance (at 3.93), in orderly. Results of the study on consumer loyalty of drug stores in Mueang District, Chiang Rai province revealed that the overall consumer loyalty of drug stores in Mueang District, Chiang Rai was rated at a high level (with mean values of 3.80 from 5). In consideration of attributes of consumer loyalty, words-of-mount communication were rated at the highest mean value (at 4.00); followed by complaining behavior (at 3.79), purchase intention (at 3.72), and price sensitivity (at 3.69), in orderly. The mean value of price sensitivity that was found closer to 5 could reflect that the consumers could bear with the price sensitivity at low level. Results of the study on the effect of service quality on consumer loyalty of drug stores in Mueang District, Chiang Rai province indicated that service quality was positively correlated to consumer loyalty of drug stores in Mueang District, Chiang Rai. In consideration of relation dimensions of service quality that affected consumer loyalty of drug stores, the findings were presented as follows. (1) If the consumers had recognition of empathy and tangility attributes of service quality, the overall consumer loyalty would increase with statistically significance (R2 = 0.590, R = 0.768, F=113.221, Sig. of F = 0.000). (2) If the consumers had recognition of empathy, tangibility, and reliability attributes of service quality, the word-of-mouth communication would increase with statistically significance ((R2 = .618, R = 0.786, F=127.509, Sig. of F = 0.000). (3) If the consumers had recognition of empathy and tangibility attributes of service quality, the purchase intention would increase with statistically significance (R2 = .395, R = 0.628, F=51.376, Sig. of F = 0.000). (4) If the consumers had recognition of empathy attribute of service quality, the price sensitivity would increase with statistically significance (R2 = .280, R = 0.529, F=30.660, Sig. of F = 0.000). (5) If the consumers had recognition of empathy, tangibility, assurance, and reliability attributes of service quality, they would not move to another store although a complaint was raised with the statistically significance (R2 = .435, R = 0.660, F=60.765, Sig. of F = 0.000). All relations demonstrated in this study could be referred to in the guidelines on service quality development of drug stores to sustain and build consumer loyalty in the future.