Guest Experience

Lost & Found

Replaces the cardboard box behind the bar with a structured digital recovery system. Staff log found items with photos from their phone. Guests file claims online without calling the venue. The system matches claims to inventory automatically. Average item recovery drops from "never" to under 3 days.

Intake

Digital item intake and cataloging

Every found item enters the system the moment it's discovered. Staff snap a photo, select a category, note the location, and submit. The item gets a unique ID, a timestamp, and enters the recovery queue. No handwritten tags that fall off, no unlabeled bags that pile up in a closet. The system knows what you have and where it came from.

Photo documentation
Every item gets a timestamped photo at the moment of intake, captured directly from the staff member's phone. The photo is stored with the item record and shown to guests reviewing potential matches. No more describing "a black phone case" over the phone for ten minutes.
Category classification
Items are categorized at intake — phone, wallet, keys, jewelry, clothing, ID/cards, eyewear, bag, or custom. Categories drive hold periods, disposition rules, and claim matching priority. A found passport gets escalated differently than a forgotten jacket.
Location tagging
Staff tag the exact location where the item was found — VIP Booth T12, Main Bar, Coat Check, Entry Queue, Restroom. Location data helps match claims and identifies loss patterns across the venue over time.
Staff attribution
Every intake is tied to the staff member who logged it. Accountability is built in from the first touch. Management can see who is logging items consistently and who might be skipping the process.
Secure storage tracking
After intake, items are assigned a storage location — safe, locked cabinet, manager's office. The system tracks where every item is physically stored so staff can retrieve it in seconds when a verified claimant arrives.
High-value item alerts
Items flagged as high-value — phones, jewelry, wallets with cash, car keys — trigger an automatic notification to management. These items require manager sign-off for release and get priority handling in the claim queue.
Claims

Online guest claims and matching

Guests don't call the venue and get put on hold. They go to a branded claim page, describe what they lost, when they were at the venue, and where they were sitting. The system cross-references their description against logged inventory and surfaces potential matches with photos. The guest confirms, staff verify, and the item moves to pickup. The whole process can happen without a single phone call.

Self-service claim portal
A branded, mobile-optimized page where guests file claims without calling. They enter what they lost, the date, the approximate location, and any identifying details. The form is clean, fast, and works at 3 AM when they realize their wallet is missing.
Automatic claim matching
The system matches incoming claims against logged inventory using category, date, location, and description keywords. Potential matches are ranked by confidence and surfaced to staff with the item photo side by side. High-confidence matches can be auto-approved based on venue policy.
Photo verification
Guests see photos of potential matches and confirm whether it's their item. This eliminates ambiguity and reduces false claims. The guest's confirmation is logged as part of the claim record for accountability.
Claim status updates
Guests receive SMS and email updates as their claim progresses — received, matched, verified, ready for pickup. No more "let me check and call you back." The guest knows exactly where things stand at every step.
Identity verification
Before releasing high-value items, staff verify the claimant's identity with ID scan or security questions — "What color is the wallet? How much cash was inside?" The verification method and result are logged for liability protection.
Proxy pickup authorization
Guests who can't return to the venue can authorize someone else to pick up their item. The system captures the proxy's name, the guest's authorization, and the proxy's ID at the time of release. Full chain of custody documented.
Recovery

Status tracking and disposition

Every item follows a clear lifecycle from the moment it's found to the moment it leaves the building. Status is visible to staff and guests at every step. Items that go unclaimed are handled according to configurable policies — no more mystery boxes accumulating in the back office for months.

Status workflow
Items move through defined statuses: Found, Claimed, Verified, Ready for Pickup, Picked Up, Expired, Donated, Disposed. Every status change is timestamped with the staff member who triggered it. The workflow is visible on the dashboard and in the guest-facing claim portal.
Configurable hold periods
Set hold periods by item category. Phones and wallets might hold for 30 days. Clothing holds for 14 days. IDs and passports hold until claimed with no expiration. When the hold period expires, the system flags the item for disposition automatically.
Expiration and disposition
When an item's hold period expires unclaimed, the system queues it for disposition — donate, dispose, or transfer. Staff select the disposition, note the destination, and close the record. Full audit trail on every item that leaves the building.
Recovery metrics
Track average recovery time, claim-to-pickup rate, and recovery rate by category and location. Identify which areas of the venue generate the most lost items. Measure how fast your team gets items back to guests compared to industry benchmarks.
Pickup scheduling
Guests schedule a pickup window through the claim portal. Staff see a daily pickup schedule so items are pulled from storage and ready before the guest arrives. No waiting at the door while someone searches the back office.
Shipping option
For out-of-town guests — common in Las Vegas — the system supports shipping verified items. The guest covers shipping costs via Stripe. Tracking numbers are logged against the item record. The item ships with a chain-of-custody document.
Built For Every Role

How each persona uses Lost & Found

Lost & Found touches bar staff, security, management, and guests. Every persona has a clear role in the recovery process — from the busser who finds the phone to the guest who picks it up three days later.

The Floor Staff
Find an item, snap a photo, tag the location, and submit. The whole intake takes under 30 seconds from a phone. The item is in the system before the shift change. No sticky notes, no "I'll log it later."
The Bar Manager
Review incoming claims, match them to logged inventory, verify identity for high-value items, and authorize release. See the full claim queue filtered by status. Know exactly what's in storage and what's pending pickup.
The GM
Monitor recovery metrics across the venue. See average recovery time, volume by category, and loss hotspots on the floor map. Use the data to improve processes — if the dance floor generates 40% of lost items, maybe that's where you station a dedicated sweep team.
The Guest
File a claim from their phone without calling. See photos of potential matches. Get status updates as the claim progresses. Schedule a pickup window or request shipping. The experience turns a frustrating loss into a surprisingly smooth recovery.
Connected Platform

Integration points

Lost & Found connects to the guest profile, notification engine, and payment system. A recovered item becomes a touchpoint in the guest relationship — not just an operational task.

Guest CRM
Claims and recoveries are logged against the guest profile. A guest who lost their phone and got it shipped back the next day has that interaction in their history. It's a service moment that builds loyalty.
Notification Service
SMS and email notifications fire automatically at every status change — claim received, match found, ready for pickup. Configurable per venue with custom message templates.
Stripe Payments
Shipping costs for out-of-town recoveries are collected via Stripe. The charge is linked to the item record with the guest's payment confirmation and shipping tracking number.
ID Scan Integration
Identity verification at pickup uses the same Patronscan and IDScan integration as the door. One scan confirms the claimant is who they say they are before high-value items are released.
Under the Hood

Core data entities

Three core entities power the lost & found system. Every record is tenant-scoped, every status change is logged immutably, and every action fires through the event bus to connected modules.

FoundItem
Photo URL, description, category, location found, date found, storage location, status, hold expiration, found-by staff ID, and disposition record. The atomic unit of the system — one record per item from intake to final disposition.
Claim
Guest name, contact info, item description, date of visit, approximate location, matched FoundItem reference, verification method, verification result, and status. Links the guest's report to the item in inventory.
RecoveryEvent
Links the claim to the FoundItem with pickup timestamp, release method (in-person or shipped), verifying staff ID, and chain-of-custody notes. An immutable audit record of every item that was returned to its owner.
Get Started

A cardboard box is not a lost & found system.

See how digital item tracking replaces the chaos with a structured, photographed, trackable recovery process. Every item logged, every claim matched, every pickup documented.

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