bold faced -- retail chain

This topic has expert replies
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 234
Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2010 7:28 pm
Location: chennai
Thanked: 5 times
Followed by:4 members

bold faced -- retail chain

by pappueshwar » Mon Feb 13, 2012 7:09 pm
hi All,
please explain the below problem and also let me know as to why B is NOT a good option.

OA : C

In retail chains where store policy includes an allowance for merchandise returns based on dissatisfaction with the products, customers are twice as likely to report that they are dissatisfied with products as they are in retail chains that do not have such a policy. Although there is no objective test for customer satisfaction -- no way to determine whether a customer is telling the truth -- it is not logical to conclude, as some have done, that half of all these claims of dissatisfaction are false, because in retail chains lacking a satisfaction policy for returns, there is often no incentive for customers to report real dissatisfaction in the first place.

In the argument above, the two boldfaced portions do which of the following?


Choices
A.The first is an inference disputed by the argument; the second is a conclusion from that inference.
B. The first is a claim whose accuracy is disputed later; the second is evidence that the claim is in fact accurate.
C.The first is the basis of a claim disputed in the argument; the second is a reason that the claim might not be accurate.
D.The first is evidence for a conclusion supported by other evidence later in the passage; the second is part of the main argument's conclusion.
E.The first is evidence used to make a statement the argument accepts; the second is part of the conclusion accepting that argument.
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 641
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2011 1:15 am
Thanked: 149 times
Followed by:32 members
GMAT Score:760

by avik.ch » Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:16 pm
In retail chains where store policy includes an allowance for merchandise returns based on dissatisfaction with the products, customers are twice as likely to report that they are dissatisfied with products as they are in retail chains that do not have such a policy. - an evidence, a trend in the customer behavior ( fact1)

Although there is no objective test for customer satisfaction -- no way to determine whether a customer is telling the truth - (fact2)

it is not logical to conclude, as some have done, that half of all these claims of dissatisfaction are false, - main conclusion

because in retail chains lacking a satisfaction policy for returns, there is often no incentive for customers to report real dissatisfaction in the first place. - reason supporting the main conclusion .


We can see that the 2nd bold face is the reason presented for the main conclusion to stand out. - eliminate A,D and E.

What is the claim negated in the argument -- "that half of all these claims of dissatisfaction are false" - this is derived from fact1 and fact2 - the first bold face is the basis of this claim.
The first boldface is not the claim that is negated - its just a fact or an evidence. Eliminate B

Hope this helps !!