LSAT Question Explanation
PT 105, Section 1, Question 5
Identify the FlawArgument structure
Small retailers that have to compete with large discount chains need to offer exceptional service to maintain profit levels.
Small chains can keep their customers without lowering prices if they offer exceptional service.
Explanation
Offering exceptional service is one way for small chains to potentially remain profitable. However, the argument concludes that small chains need that exceptional service, and the evidence hasn't proven that exceptional service is necessary. The author ends up taking a condition that's sufficient for maintaining profits, and treating it as though it's necessary.
This is a sufficient/necessary swap. For those who like to diagram, consider the evidence and conclusion as presented below. The conclusion just reverses the conditions, the statements are not logically equivalent.
E: Exceptional service → Maintain profits
C: Maintain profits → Exceptional service
Answer choices
This doesn't matter, because the small retailers would still struggle to compete on prices.
This doesn't matter because the conclusion is about small retailers maintaining their profit margins, not being more profitable than the large chains.
Ok, great. This doesn't relate to the conclusion which is about how they can maintain their profit margins. Answer choice (C) is about whether or not the owners of small retailers want to prioritize their profit margins, which is a different concept. Whether or not they're motivated by profit and whether or not the profits are possible are distinct and in this case (and many similar cases on the LSAT, this is a trap answer) unrelated.
Not relevant. The conclusion is about the small retailers who are forced to compete with large chains.
This indicates why the conclusion isn't proven. The author never proved that exceptional service is actually necessary for the small retailers. There could be other explanations/solutions such as maybe their customers just feel better about supporting a local business.