| This study examined the perceptions of recreation users at the Timberline Lodge Recreation Complex (TLRC); a national historic landmark in Oregon's Mount Hood National Forest. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of service quality indicators as predictors of overall satisfaction at the Timberline Lodge Recreation Complex. Thorough information pertaining to recreation users' socio-demographics, trip and group characteristics was ascertained to compile a detailed visitor profile. The overall goal was to establish which specific satisfaction items where associated with predicting an overall satisfaction rating. A quantitative survey method was utilized, with a total of 805 surveys collected between the months of May and August of 2011.;The majority of the sample was moderately educated, middle-aged Caucasian males. A battery of questions was asked of the respondents pertaining to their expectations and experiences related to satisfaction, crowding and conflict. The overall sample of visitors were highly satisfied in nearly all aspects of their trip, and reported on a variety of opinions about their experience. Respondents reported that they felt slightly crowded and only a small number of visitor conflicts were reported.;The secondary focus of this study was to observe the multiple facets of customer satisfaction, crowding and conflict as it pertains to two specifically segmented recreational user groups; snow users and lodge users. Accordingly, TLRC users were segmented by their primary activity involvement resulting in more than two-thirds of users participated in snow activities, and just under one-third of recreation users participated in lodge activities.;An examination of one overall satisfaction variable, five service quality items, and nine individual trip experience items was conducted to better understand the complex issue of customer satisfaction. Satisfaction analysis utilizing frequencies, Person's Chi-Square, independent samples t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance determined that lodge users were significantly more satisfied than snow users. Next, an assessment of perceived crowding and conflict levels amongst the segmented user groups was conducted with a combination of frequencies, Person's Chi- Square and independent samples t-tests. Analysis indicated that snow users felt a higher level of perceived crowding and conflict than lodge users.;Although all five service quality items and nine trip experience items were hypothesized to be significant predictors of overall satisfaction, only eight items were found to be significant. In both models, it was determined that satisfaction items were not adequate predictors of overall satisfaction. The author suggests that although the variance of the five service quality items is too low to be significant, it does further the premise that TLRC users are more satisfied with experience items opposed to facility and/or management items. Further research is needed to verify the appropriate service quality items necessary to adequately predict overall satisfaction. |
