In the fast-paced and dynamic environment of the travel and entertainment industry, gaining customers’ trust is essential for long-term loyalty.
One area where trust is often tested is the handling of found items on a business’ property. That is, a business’s ability to efficiently and ethically manage lost items can significantly impact its reputation and customer loyalty – be it for better or worse – as we continuously see how popular tracking devices like AirTags and Tiles are increasing transparency in helping customers become more aware of where their items are.
A recent trending story about the performing magician who tracked his luggage full of expensive sound equipment to the tarmac at Newark International Airport shows just how much of a hassle Lost & Found misplaced item recovery can be for customers. After all the stress he went through to recover the bag, United Airlines emailed him days later to let him know they were still looking for his bag, which puts a bow on their fumbled lost item process and customer experience.
Stories like this really make you wonder: what would have happened to this bag if it wasn’t for device tracking and a highly motivated customer? Perhaps it would have ended up at Unclaimed Baggage, which buys the “unclaimed baggage” from airlines, intakes over 7,000 lost bags per day from airlines, and sells them at their 50,000 square foot storefront in Scottsboro, Alabama.
At Boomerang, we’re leading the way in helping businesses boost trust, transparency, and effectiveness when an item is found on their property. By doing so, we’re turning Lost & Found into a department with strong checks and balances, organized processes, consistent communication, and, ultimately, a high-performing department that boosts customer loyalty and its net-promoter score (NPS). In this recent partnership case study, we shared how Boomerang boosted Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) return rates from 42% in month one to nearly 60% in just one quarter.
The bottom line is that customers place immense value on how a business handles belongings, be it their data or a tangible misplaced item. That’s because when an item is misplaced, customers have no option but to put hope in the business that they have strong processes, tech, and ethics, in order to make a magical return happen.
In the U.S., unlike Japan’s incredibly efficient and effective Lost & Found (covered in more detail here), a weak or non-existent process can lead to negative customer experiences, loss of trust, and, ultimately, a tarnished reputation that is expensive to repair. In 2010, American Airlines had a $5M lawsuit over a customer’s frustration with her lost baggage and her request to refund her $25 baggage fee after they lost her baggage (read more about the full story here).
For executive management, Lost & Found can’t be overlooked: it’s critical to invest in the operation to gain transparency, integrity, and effectiveness on this powerful customer touchpoint for your NPS.
And when it comes to reputational risk, Lost & Found is just too expensive not to invest in it.
To capture its full potential, the department must invest in technology beyond the basics: Excel spreadsheets, notepads, and your facility’s management software for logging lost items simply don’t cut it anymore.
With most business decisions, you often get what you pay for. If you look for the cheapest DIY hacks or tech stacks, you will eventually pay the price. With AirTags & Tiles, they are stress-testing processes, tech stacks, and integrity, exposing the subpar and spotlighting the best.
Boomerang offers a robust, industry-leading platform that streamlines the Lost & Found process, ensuring that all items are accurately logged, matched, and returned with integrity, precision, and ease for all those involved.
Let’s get partnered up.
Skyler Logsdon
CEO, Boomerang
