Before Boomerang
Every found item went into a pen-and-paper notebook. There were no digital records and no reporting, so nobody could see what was on the shelf without reading the pages.
A guest who lost something had to call, email or find a staff member in person, then keep asking. The staff answering were also responsible for other duties, and lost and found pulled them into clerical work.
The auction problem
Thousands of items a year passed through the office. Before each auction or disposition cycle, staff went line by line through the notebooks to find what had gone unclaimed, which took more than 10 hours a month.
What changed
Staff now log every item on tablets and print a label for it, so each item has a record from intake to resolution. Guests file a claim online from a link or QR code, with no app, and get updates without calling. Matching checks every new item against every open claim, and guests who cannot come back can pay to ship the item home, which was not offered before.
Unclaimed items and auctions
Unclaimed items are now a filter in the portal and an export. Outcomes (sold, donated or destroyed) are recorded on 4,000+ items across its auction and disposition cycles, so every item has an end state on record.
Results
- About 90% of claims are now filed online by guests
- Nearly doubled its return rate in the first six months, from 1 in 8 to about 1 in 4
- Unclaimed and auction prep is now a filter and an export, with outcomes recorded on 4,000+ items
- Freed staff from clerical lost and found work to focus on their core duties
In travelers' words
“My experience was phenomenal!!! Reporting the claim was a breeze... I was shocked to receive an update so quickly that my iPad was found! From there, pay the reasonable price for shipping. All in all, I have my iPad back within one week.”
“Shoutout to the staff for handing in my AirPods. The Boomerang team took it from there. This platform just elevates the customer experience. 100% satisfaction.”
Most partners prefer to stay anonymous, so this story uses a venue descriptor. Every number is real and comes from the partner or from Boomerang's own records.