Lost and Found

Policies

• Lost and Found must be in only one location at the con and must not be moved during the con. A small move such as from one table to another overnight as long as it is still in the same general area is fine.
• Rovers and only rovers will handle Lost and Found.
• At the end of the convention ALL ITEMS will be turned in to the venue Lost & Found.
• The Lost & Found box is to be an opaque box and should be located well behind the Lost & Found desk so that the contents can not be seen easily by people in front of the desk. It should also be under supervision. Depending on the layout of the room, the best location may be under or next to the main cash box at Registration.
• If possible, items which have been matched to reports should be separated from unmatched items – either in different sides of the box, or in different boxes.
• Found items with no known owner are to be labeled with their report number in BLACK marker on a removable / multi-use label.
• Found items matching a report (and therefore being stored until their owner can retrieve them) are to be labeled in RED marker on a removable / multi-use label.
• Any items in our possession are to be treated with absolute care. Items should leave our possession in the exact same state we received them.
• Items which are turned into the desk are referred to as "found items" and items that a person is looking for but hasn't been found yet are referred to as "lost items"
• Slips are to be filled out in pen, NOT in sharpie or pencil.
• All slips are to have a unique number on them - this can either be printed on the slip, hand written in advance, or take advantage of number labels such as this or similar product. Number only needs to be unique by year.
• Badge numbers of people turning in found items are not required but are encouraged. A person can turn in an item anonymously if they insist.
• A person can not retrieve a found item anonymously.
• Absolutely no items are to be put in the Lost & Found box without a "Found Item" slip being filled out and a matching label on the item.

Procedure

Make sure to read this document in its entirety if you are going to be working the Lost & Found desk.

Required Supplies

The following should be the contents of the Lost & Found box at the beginning and end of con.

• Lost Items Slips
• Found Items Slips
• Black Sharpie(s)
• Red Sharpie(s)
• Pens
• Removable Labels (MUST BE REMOVABLE TYPE)
• A small digital clock
• Envelopes marked
  • "Lost Items"
  • "Found Items"
  • "Found Items Returned"

If you need additional or replacement envelopes, see the office supplies area by Ops/Reg.

Also Possibly:

• "Found" Stamp
• "Lost" Stamp

If these stamps are not included, you will write the information on the slip.

Steps

Found/Incoming Items

Non-Desk/Roving Procedure

For staff roving, roaming, or watching doors -

1. If you are not manning the Lost & Found desk and anyone tries to turn an item in to you because you are staff, please try to get them to go to the Lost & Found desk themselves.
2. If the person can not go to the desk because they are stuck at their location (a vendor/artist, a panelist, etc), if it is reasonable to do so, have Rovers (or you can do it) bring a Lost & Found slip/tablet to that location to complete.
3. If the person is mobile or running a panel and either refuses, or doesn't seem like they will go to the Lost & Found desk, you may take the item to Lost & Found on their behalf.

Desk Procedure

1. Start filling out a "Found Items" form with the badge number of the person who found the item, where it was found and when, and if different, the date and time turned in.
2. Review the open "Lost Items" forms to see if someone has already come by looking for this item.
3. If you find a matching slip (or multiple matching slips) but you are not sure if it is the same item, you may contact the person(s) and ask further questions to determine if that is the right item.
   • Try to ask open-ended questions that do not indicate anything about the item itself.
   • Write down any new information on the slip(s)
4. If you can determine that this is someone's item on a "Lost Items" slip:
   1. Write the "Lost Items" slip number on a REMOVABLE label in RED SHARPIE and attach the label to the item.
   2. If the item is one of the special items below, follow the found procedure for that special item below. Any special procedures supersede the procedures in this section.
   3. Place the marked item in the Lost & Found box
   4. Write the "Lost Items" slip number on the started "Found Items" slip in red sharpie and keep the forms together.
   5. Contact the attendee using their preferred method of contact on the slip
   6. When the attendee arrives for the item:
      1. Have the person confirm if the found item is theirs.
      2. If the item is not theirs:
         1. Cross out the "Lost Items" Slip number from the "Found Items" Slip.
         2. Remove the red label from the item and put it on the "Lost Items" slip.
         3. Go back to the "Found Items" slip and continue from step 5.
      3. If the item is theirs:
         1. Fill out the bottom half of the "Lost Items" slip
         2. Have person sign the slip
         3. Remove the label from the item and put it on the "Found Items" slip
         4. Return the item to the person
         5. Place the started "Found Items" slip and completed "Lost Items" slip together in the "Found Items Returned" envelope.
5. Review the item. Is it one of the special items (con badge, phone, wallet/purse, money, or medication)? If so, proceed to the proper section below.
6. Write a detailed description of the item on the slip.
7. Make sure the slip is filled out completely
8. Write the slip number on a REMOVABLE label in BLACK SHARPIE and attach the label to the item.
9. Place the item in the Lost & Found box

Lost Items

Non-Desk/Roving Procedure

For staff roving, roaming, or watching doors -

1. Direct the attendee to Lost and Found desk. Escort them if possible.

Desk Procedure

1. Have the person describe the item to you.
2. Review the "Found Items" slips for a possible match. Ask additional questions until it is determined if we have the item already or not.
3. If we might have the item, retrieve the item(s) from the Lost & Found box and determine if any of the items are the lost item the person is looking for.
   • You may ask questions to narrow down the items before bringing anything back to the table.
   • It is best if the person can identify the item without seeing it.
   • If reasonable, ask specific questions to identify the item as theirs. For example, if it's a phone - ask them to give you the unlock code or to unlock it for you, or have them describe the home screen if it's not locked.
4. If we do have the item:
   1. If the item is a wallet/purse, or money:
      1. You must contact llama to have him facilitate the return. If llama is not available, contact the acting floor manager (this includes head of rovers). You are not to do the return yourself.
   2. Any other items:
      1. Fill out the bottom half of the item's "Found Item" slip.
         1. Have person sign the slip
         2. Remove the label from the item and put it on the slip
         3. Return the item to the person
         4. Place the completed "Found Items" slip in the "Found Items Returned" envelope.
5. If we don't have the item:
   1. Fill out the top half of a SNAFU Con "Lost Items" slip. Gather as much information as you can.
   2. Make sure you can read the slip in its entirety.
   3. Read the contact information back to the person to make sure we have it right
   4. Re-write the information as necessary for legibility

Phones

If an attendee finds a phone and turns it in, take down all relevant information regarding the phone (include if the phone is locked, description of the background, etc.) Double-check if the phone has In Case of Emergency (ICE) contacts. These can be found under the "Emergency Call" or phone buttons on a lock-screen. You may contact the people on the ICE contacts and see if they have another way to contact the owner. You cannot go through someone's contacts if they are not on an ICE list. If not, see if you can get the owner's name from the ICE contact. We may be able to look them up in the registration system. Complete 1 and 2 of the RECEIVED ITEMS procedures.

When someone comes to claim a phone, complete the LOST ITEMS procedures above. In addition, ask if they can unlock the phone for you if it is locked.

Wallet (or purse)

If a wallet (or purse) is found, contact llama immediately. Then, complete the steps for RECEIVED ITEMS. DO NOT GO THROUGH THE WALLET (OR PURSE). When he arrives, llama will go through the wallet (or purse) with you to index what is inside the wallet (or purse). He will then seal the envelope himself and sign. He will make sure to include the person's name if the wallet (or purse) has an ID. DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING OUT OF A WALLET (OR PURSE) WITHOUT LLAMA. When someone comes to claim a wallet (or purse), complete the steps for LOST ITEMS above. You must verify the person's name on their badge with that written on the envelope. Only the owner of the wallet (or purse) may pick-up the wallet (or purse). You may also give it to a legal guardian. If llama is not available, contact the acting floor manager (this includes head of rovers).

Money

If money is turned in, contact llama or the acting floor manager. You will both verify the exact amount turned in. Place the money into a sealed envelope. The floor manager will sign. If someone comes to claim money, contact llama or the acting floor manager. They will determine if the person claiming the money has the correct amount and denominations.

Medication

If someone turns in medication, take a description of what was turned in. Look for a name on the label (if the bottle still have a label) and note the color and general size of the pills on a slip. DO NOT PLACE THE MEDICATION IN AN ENVELOPE. Put the slip away as if with a found item. The medication must be turned in to the venue. If someone is seeking lost medication, see if a slip for medication was turned in that matches their name/description. If so, let them know the venue has their medication. If not, let them know that all medication turned in goes to the venue.

Unclaimed Items

At the end of the convention, all unclaimed lost and found items go to the venue, with the exception of money. If after 30 days no one claims found cash, the money will then be donated to the convention charity that year.