British pub chain Wetherspoons has banned customers from playing music, videos or other audio aloud on mobile devices and from making calls on speakerphone across its pubs, following complaints about disruptive noise from phones and tablets.
The company, which operates 792 pubs and bars across the United Kingdom, said customers would now be expected to keep their devices silent or use earphones when listening to audio.
Wetherspoons said staff would apply “common sense” when enforcing the new policy, rather than automatically removing customers who breach the rule.
However, managers could ultimately ask customers to leave if they repeatedly refuse to comply
The move comes amid growing irritation in Britain over people playing music, watching videos or holding conversations on speakerphone in public places.
According to figures cited in the BBC report, a Transport for London survey of 1,000 people last year found that 70 per cent considered loud music and phone calls without headphones a nuisance.
There appears to be a generational divide over the practice. An earlier Ofcom survey found much greater acceptance among teenagers of watching videos, listening to music and making video calls without headphones.
Wetherspoons has traditionally distinguished many of its pubs by not playing background music.
The company’s founder and chief executive, Sir Tim Martin, has described its pubs as an “oasis of tranquillity and contemplation” in an environment increasingly filled with amplified sound.
Martin said the latest policy was intended to prevent customers from being overwhelmed by competing sounds from other people’s devices.
The rule will also cover Wetherspoons’ 44 Lloyds bars, even though those venues play music during the evening.
The British Beer and Pub Association backed the principle of having clear rules, saying policies of this nature help customers understand acceptable behaviour while making enforcement easier for staff.
Wetherspoons’ decision is less restrictive than the longstanding approach adopted by rival pub operator Samuel Smith, which has imposed broader restrictions on mobile phones and other technology in its establishments.
The policy comes as Wetherspoons continues to navigate financial pressures in Britain’s hospitality industry. Its pub estate has fallen from a peak of 955 locations in late 2015 to 792, while the company recently warned investors that annual profit would be lower than expected because of rising food, labour, energy, repair and business-rate costs.
For customers, however, the message behind the latest rule is straightforward: headphones are welcome, but broadcasting whatever is on your phone to the rest of the pub is not.
