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Alamo Drafthouse uses Voicemail for No Texting Policy PSA
Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 8:42PM 
Kudos to the Alamo Drafthouse for taking a stance against rude movie theater audience members in a time when other multiplexes tolerate everything from fighting, talking and unruly children to loitering. This Texas theater chain recently kicked a customer out after she continued texting despite their previous warnings for her to stop. The customer later called the Alamo Drafthouse and left an angry and profanity laden voicemail for them, which they in turn used in a Public Service Announcement called “Don’t Talk or Text.”
They made a censored and un-censored version of the PSA and the former seems to be more comedic, in my opinion. Either way, it is probably refreshing for Alamo Drafthouse customers and movie theater audiences in other areas of the country to see that rude behavior is not accepted at every theater.....at least not in Texas. Their policies and actions for dealing with rude customers show that the owners and staff value the interests of movie goers as a collective and they work to ensure that a visit to the Alamo Drafthouse is an enjoyable experience for customers who want to watch a movie without being annoyed by people who obviously have no sense of courtesy for others.
The theater turned an annoying situation into something that can serve two purposes.....a PSA to deter future audience members from exhibiting the same behavior as the moviegoer that they kicked out and also let them know in advance how the theaters handle rude audience members.......and....it also serves as an effective form of advertising for the movie theater. Tim League, CEO of the Alamo Drafthouse has the following response to the booted texter's voicemail:
"Ma'am, you may be free to text in all the other theaters in the Magnited States of America, but here at our "little crappy ass theater," you are not. Why you may ask? Well, we actually do give a f*$k."
Here is the un-censored version of the "Don't Talk or Text" PSA:
.....and here is the censored version of this PSA:
Which one has the more powerful impact on YOU?
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Reader Comments (4)
Such a pet peeve of mine; I'm glad they did something about it. And, yes, enjoy the bleeped out version better too - sometimes the imagination is a better tool than hearing it all.
My even bigger phone pet peeve? Cell phones in public restrooms!! HATE it! Doesn't anyone respect that times exist when you do not have to be available to the beck and call of the world? Geez...
What a BEEP!? It's self-centered jerks like this that made me stop going to the theater. Do these people realize how distracting their bright phones are? Do they understand that the light and the noise pulls you out of the movie fantasy that you paid good money to experience? I've had more than my fair share of distractions from rude movie patrons such as this dim bulb, but luckily I was able to cull together my own high quality home movie theater where I can watch films in peace. If more movie theaters warned and ejected distracting movie goers the way the Alamo Drafthouse does, then they'll lure people like me back to the theater.
I heard this story on the radio this morning and thought it was great. Both versions have impact but I prefer the bleeped version since I know what she's saying anyway and don't have to hear it. What a dumb sounding person she is.
I'm still playing catch up. Be getting back to you.
Lee
http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Tossing It Out
The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema management made their point when they 1) kicked her out while 2) keeping her money. I really don't have an issue with the theater's policy. To quote the video, "Yeah, I was wondering if you guys actually enjoy treating your customers like a pieces of sh*t?" The creation of this "PSA" suggests: apparently so. After viewing a couple of the other Alamo Drafthouse Cinema "PSA" videos, the single difference is this one ridicules an actual person; the others are staged. If this were staged like the rest, or even included getting permission from the caller, then fine. But if it's otherwise authentic as presented, then it's a personal, unwarranted attack: the management made their point when they kicked her out, right?