This is our last installment in our series on creating a lost and found in your laundromat. In case you missed our first two blogs on the benefits of a great lost and found and why a lost and found is important, you can find them here. Every business owner should have a plan in place for dealing with customers' lost and found items. Creating a standard policy and procedure for dealing with these items not only helps your staff know exactly what to do but it also helps your customers get their lost items back in a more timely manner. If you're tired of searching for Electrolux dealers in North Carolina, make the call to T & L instead. Our Speed Queen and Continental options will blow you away.
SOP for Lost and Found
A simple, commonsense, easy to follow plan should be implemented for dealing with left behind items.
- All items must be placed in a bag and tagged with the date and time the item was found, where the item was found and a brief description of the item. The tag should also include the employee's initials.
- A log book for lost and found items should be kept at the counter where employees can quickly and easily check to see if an item has been turned in or been reported lost.
- All items should be stored in a secure place - like a locked office - so that only staff has access to the items.
- Have a clear time limit for keeping items.
- If an item has been left for over the designated amount of time have a policy in place for disposing of the items. Consider donating items to local charities.
- When the owner of an item is known to the staff, the staff should attempt to contact that person to return the item to them.
- Owners claiming items must sign for the item and provide some sort of identification.
A good lost and found policy helps ensure that your staff and your customers are able to reunite people and items easily and effectively. In the event that a wallet or purse is left behind, it is advisable to have a procedure in place for this as well. Valuable items such as jewelry or watches should also have a procedure for lost and found storage and claiming. Make sure that your staff is trained in what to do in these instances as well.
Clearly post your lost and found policy in your establishment and consider adding it to the FAQ page on your website. Many businesses have created an online form on their website where customers can go to report items that have been lost. This is a great way to make sure that you have the customer's contact information so that if the item is recovered it can be returned quickly and easily. Occasionally posting this information on your social media channels also lets your customers know that if they leave something behind there is a quick and easy way to let you know they are looking for an item.
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