When you walk up to a taxi line at a hotel or airport, the typical protocol is to get into the first taxi in the line. But what if you don’t like that taxi company, or want a different type of cab? In most cases, the taxi drivers and venue operator would say you’re out of luck. They’ve made an agreement that customers have to board the first taxi there, and you don’t get a say in the matter.

Of course, the customer is free to challenge this policy. After all, I doubt there’s any law that says how taxi lines need to work, and customers certainly haven’t signed any document agreeing to the boarding protocol. What interests me more, though, is the impact that these arbitrary policies have on customer satisfaction and loyalty.

When there are few alternatives, people usually complain a little bit, and then just accept the policies as stated. But if a business keeps imposing arbitrary rules on its customers, it’s usually only a matter of time before a new vendor comes along with a fresh approach. In the case of taxis, this might simply mean that a taxi company starts parking across the street where there’s no official taxi line, and using bright signage in their cab windows to attract customers who are tired of the status quo.

Regardless of the type of business, it’s important to recognize that customers have a choice — even if that freedom to choose isn’t apparent today. If they’re in a big rush to get somewhere right away, travelers might not be able to sidestep your taxi line protocol and locate a better taxi option down the street. But the next time they’re faced with a similar situation, they’ll know better than to make the same mistake again.