Abstract:
The study was undertaken to investigate the effects of reliability on customer repeat patronage in Zimbabwe in
Hardware Retail industry. The target population was 2000 Using the formula developed by Cochran, a target
population of 2000 was chosen for this investigation and the sample was 330 which include different artisans
such as carpenters, builders, welders, electricians and managers. The study used a cross-sectional survey research
design. The total number of questionnaires that were administered by the research to customers was 330. The
researcher managed to yield a total of 323 questionnaires successfully filled. This represented an overall response
rate of 97.87%. The underpinning philosophy of this research was pragmatism. The research approach was a
mixed method. Stratified and simple random sampling methods were adopted. Structured questionnaires and
interviews were used as the collection instrument for data from the respondents. The collected data was collated,
coded and entered Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. The study found that the Pearson's
product moment correlation coefficient (r) =.718 confirms the findings that reliability and customer repeat
patronage have a significant positive relationship. It can be concluded that reliability promotes brand
competitiveness in the market. The study recommends that hardware stores should fund extensive training
initiatives for staff members that emphasize enhancing assurance, empathy, and responsiveness. Product
knowledge, effective problem-solving methods, and active listening skills should all be covered in training.
There is need to create a reliable system for gathering and evaluating customer feedback. This could involve
social media monitoring, in-store feedback forms, and online surveys. There is need to increase reliability,
concentrate on enhancing operational procedures. This entails putting in place reliable inventory management
systems to guarantee product availability, expediting checkout processes to cut down on wait times, and creating
transparent communication channels to deliver correct information. Hardware stores can foster trust and promote
repeat business by continuously fulfilling their commitments and offering trustworthy service.
