The vacant building stands prominently on what was once prime real estate on the outskirts of downtown. The stuccoed storefront and ill-fitted metal awning are precariously out of place beneath the dentil roofline. Its painted brick is peeling, but you can still read the “King’s Furniture” sign on the side.

Its demise began long before the mall opened a few miles down the road. Perhaps it began the day this sign was painted on the other side of the building:

Customer Parking Only
One-Hour Limit
Towing Enforced

Seems a bit harsh, doesn’t it?

Do you unwittingly punish Ms. Jones for minor infractions of arbitrary rules? Have your policies been in place so long you don’t even know how they got there? Is every single thing about the way you do business designed to make Ms. Jones happy – or is it for your own benefit? Your hours? Your return policies? Your payment methods? Your selection? Your advertising?

Are you driving people away when they try to drive business your way? Or do you just tow them?