Businesses that use Chargerback can cut in half the time their staff spends on lost and found, and yet average over a 90% return rate when guests self-report a lost item.
Lost and found solutions provider releases important statistics and offers advice to those traveling over the Memorial Day holiday.
[Carson City, NV – May 23, 2016] Chargerback, Inc., the developers of the nation’s leading lost and found software solutions, releases statistics for lost and found items over Memorial Day weekend. The company projects, at America’s airlines, hotels and amusement parks alone, 1,171,275 items with an average total value of $139,164,559 are expected to be lost between May 27, 2016 and June 3, 2016. Of these, 19.5% will be electronic devices such as cell phones, laptop computers, keys with electronic fobs, and cameras, with an estimated total value of $68,425,253.
According to a recent AAA survey, “more than one-third of Americans (35 percent) are planning to take a family vacation of 50 miles or more away from home involving two or more immediate family members in the next 12 months.” Hall, J. (2016, April 21). AAA: More Than One-Third of Americans Will Take a Family Vacation This Year. Retrieved May 10, 2016 from http://newsroom.aaa.com/2016/04/aaa-one-third-americans-will-take-family-vacation-year/
Chargerback is releasing these statistics to raise traveler awareness and educate them so they will know what to do in the event they lose an item. The company has these five suggestions on how to increase the chance of having a lost item returned.
1) Report the item lost as soon as you notice it is missing. The sooner the venue has a lost item report, the faster they can match it with items found.
2) Describe your item completely. Be specific about the brand, color, model, and any distinguishing characteristics of your item. The more detailed you are, the easier it will be to match with items which have been found.
3) Be clear about where you lost the item. Always provide the date the item was lost and where it was lost. If you stayed in a hotel, look at your check-out receipt and include your room number in the report. A seat number is a valuable bread crumb to find items left on an airplane. And be sure to specify if you left your item in a seatback pocket or in the overhead bin. If the item was lost in an amusement park, let the park know which ride or park feature you were near andwhere you believe you lost the item.
4) Provide complete contact information. Regardless of how the property or airline manages itslost and found process, complete contact information assures they can communicate with you in the event your item is found.
5) Be patient. Some items are found quickly. Some are found up to 30 days later. Patience is the key to lowering your level of stress when an item is lost. Losing an item can be stressful. Don’t let it ruin your holiday.
These statistics and suggestions are based on Chargerback’s experience and data collected the previous year, from May 22, 2015 through May 29, 2015 and Chargerback’s installed user base, which includes the nation’s top airlines, hotels, and amusement parks. The national data was compiled and the statistic estimated based on industry size and market share.
