Customer compatibility management, or revisiting the silence rule

Emphasizes the controllability of customer‐to‐customer interaction in the library service environment. Argues that customers′ satisfaction or dissatisfaction with their experience of a library may be significantly influenced by their experience of other customers. Uses some concepts from the services marketing literature and proposes a more focused and comprehensive customer compatibility management programme. Uses the theatrical metaphor to illustrate the roles and functions that need to be adopted in a compatibility management programme.