THE GOLDffLL

-.:.'=""#-|#swqlst$s1l'{

LP Dawson Creek Gold" sheathing is here.

It carries the same APA performance rating as plywood. But costs less and works better.

Because it combines the best features of strand and wafer panels, Dziwson Creek Gold delivers strength and workability in one panel. Every sheet is solid, uni- form, and good lookir-rg. It cuts easier and cleaner. It nails like a dream. It goes down flat and stal's that way. In short, Dawson Creek Gold is the

Knock Down Sales Barriers

While no retailer would intentionally put up barriers to prevent shoppers from experiencing satisfaction in his store, many retailers inadvertently impede the shopping process and lose their competitve advantage in the marketplace.

Customers react to unsatisfactory experiences during the shopping process in several ways. Common actions include privately complain- ing, partially boycotting a store, product or service and total boycotting as well as seeking redress from the retailer.

Dissatisfaction usually occurs when the store fails to meet expectations the consumer has as he enters the shopping process. The consumer evaluates the store, product and service against these expectations with their confirmation or disconfirmation determining the level of his satisfaction.

Mandy Putnam and Sharyn Brooks, senior consultants with Management Horizons, point out that "Generally, if consumers are just annoyed, they make no complaint. They simply tend to avoid the store, service or product, and no one knows why customers are being lost unless the store seriously begins investigating the problem."

Barriers can be classified in five areas: personnel, policies, atmosphere, advertising and services.

Personnel that are too few in number, inattentive, overly aggressive, snobbish, rude, uninformed or dishonest are considered barriers. Stringent return policies or refusal to accept returns are barriers as are crowded or messy displays, bad lighting and crowded parking lots.

Being out-of-stock on advertised specials, misrepresenting merchandise, practicing bait and switch and promoting false sales are additional barriers. Lack of restrooms, no store charge, late delivery or billing errors are examples of service barriers.

Barriers can produce a variety of psychological reactions ranging from mild annoyance to extreme anger with a variety of accompanying responses. Few consumers make their dissatisfaction known to stores, but the majority of them do not hesitate to boycott a store. Dissatisfaction appears to be cumulative although

The ilerchant Magazlne most consumers have a high tolerance for temporary or isolated unsatisfactory events.

A retailer who suspects that barriers exist in his store can conduct a barrier audit to identify and analyze their impact upon store performance. This can be accomplished by conducting indepth qualitative research with core customers to identify their expectations and performance barriers which exist.

After barriers are identified an action plan can be put into effect to remove barriers discovered. This audit should become an integral part of examining how well a retailer meets consumers needs, according to Putnam and Brooks.

PIRF Gains On Concrete Slab

Greater utilization of the perimeter-insulated raised floor svstem (PIRF) is expected this year in California where the energy code requires raised floor crawlspace homes to be insulated.