We just checked out of the hotel and we’re headed to the airport. We’re standing in line to go through security when my 14-year-old daughter realizes she doesn’t have her phone. Of course, I’d love to get it back for her, but we have a flight to catch. After returning home we made efforts to retrieve the phone with no success. It’s not a huge loss I guess, we have insurance through our carrier, and I’ll get her a new one this week. Then I got to thinking; In someone’s lost and found, my underage daughters’ phone is at the disposal of any perfect stranger. All her personal information, texts, pictures, available to whoever's hands the phone falls into. She has a password on it, but I hear that’s not too difficult to bypass…
How would you feel if you were the parent in this situation? Or if it was your device? It might be easy to get over the lost device itself, but what about everything it contains? Your privacy is much more valuable. I’m sure it would put your mind at ease if you knew the facility you left the device at donated all their electronics to a place that erased all the confidential data.
Too often we get the reply from lost and found managers: “People don’t leave phones behind... I only have a couple of phones every once in a while.” Whether you have 1, 100 or 1000 the problem is the same – you have someone’s personal information in your possession. If someone had your smartphone and could not return it to you, what would you want them to do with it? You want them to protect the data! You wouldn’t care if they had 100 or 1000 other phones, you’re only concerned about that one.
Of course, you have no control over where or when you lose your device, it’s an accident! But wouldn’t you prefer to stay at a hotel or resort that ensures data protection of lost devices over one that does not have a clear policy for doing so? Just in case.
The 911 Cell Phone Bank takes unclaimed portable electronic devices, like the lost smartphones found at hotels, resorts, and theme parks, and protects the previous owner’s identity and reputation by removing private and confidential data and then uses the devices as lifelines for domestic violence victims and more.
If your business operates a lost and found department, let us help you avoid a lawsuit, protect your reputation and keep your guest’s private information safe.