AMC Theatres learned the hard way that the customer is always right.
The company's CEO Adam Aron revealed earlier this week that AMC was considering allowing moviegoers to text in theaters, in hopes of attracting more millennials to its locations.
Consumers, however, balked at the notion, taking to social media to criticize AMC.
The company backpedaled on Friday, revealing it will implement a stricter no-texting policy.
"Unlike the many AMC advancements that you have applauded, we have heard loud and clear that this is a concept our audience does not want," Aron said in a statement. "In this age of social media, we get feedback from you almost instantaneously and as such, we are constantly listening. Accordingly, just as instantaneously, this is an idea that we have relegated to the cutting room floor."
Aron also noted that the company is slated to invest more than $1 billion in theater enhancements in the next few years.
While AMC's texting policy may be getting a makeover, Alamo Drafthouse is known for its stringent no-texting policy. Moviegoers who use their mobile devices in the theater are asked to leave.
"We as exhibitors rely completely on these creators for our content and have an unwritten obligation to present their films in the best possible way: on a big screen with big sound and a bright picture in a silent, dark room," Tim League, founder and CEO of Alamo Drafthouse, said in response to AMC's texting consideration in a statement on Thursday.
League noted that he also objected to the generalization of millennial behavior, stating that young people aren't the only ones who use cellphones.
"According to some reports, the average American checks their phone over 100 times a day. This isn't just a millennial behavior, it is a global attention span epidemic," League said. "Regardless of your age, turning off your phone and focusing on a good movie is much-needed therapy."