Lost and found at the gate
Things found on your site are logged at the gate with a photo and kept until their owner comes. People who lost something report it, and the two are matched. The owner is told where to collect it, and the hand-over is recorded with name and ID.
PLANSEvery plan
Why it matters
Things found on a site usually end up in a drawer at one gate, while the owner asks somewhere else. In SmartMy VMS every found item is logged where it was handed in, with a photo and marks only the real owner would know. Lost reports from the gate, from staff phones and from the helpdesk land in one list. The guard matches them in a tap. The owner is told where to go and what to bring. The hand-over is kept with the name and ID of whoever collected it. You know what every gate holds and for how long.
The problem it solves
- A phone handed in at the main gate sits in a drawer while its owner asks at reception in the other building.
- A drawer of keys, cards and wallets with no record of who found them, where or when.
- Someone claims a wallet by describing it loosely, and the real owner turns up later.
- Unclaimed items stay for years because nobody knows how long they have been kept.
How it works
- A visitor finds a black leather wallet in the car park. The guard opens Lost and found and fills in What is it, the Kind, Found at and Handed in by. The guard takes a photo and presses Keep it at this gate.
- Under Marks only the owner would know, the guard writes what proves ownership, such as the name on a card inside. This is never shown to people looking for their things.
- Someone who lost something reports it at the gate. Staff can also report it on the host page or the Host app (Growth), and the guards are told.
- The guard opens the report, sees the kept items of the same kind first, and presses This is the one. The owner is told where to collect it and to bring an ID.
- A member of staff can also press This is mine on an item listed as kept at the gates. The guards are told and check at the hand-over.
- When the owner comes, the guard checks the hidden marks, presses Hand it over and records Collected by, Mobile and ID shown. The item and the report close together.
Everything it does
Found items
- What it is, Kind, a photo, Found At, Found On, Handed in by, the gate it is Kept at, and Recorded By
- Kinds: Phone / Electronics, Wallet / Money, Keys, Bag, ID / Access Card, Documents, Clothing, Jewellery / Watch, Toy / Sports, Other
- Marks only the owner would know: kept off the public list and off the name
- Statuses: Kept, Returned and Disposed
- Each item gets a number from the entity's sequence; each gate shows the count of items it keeps
Lost reports
- What it is, Kind, Details (colour, brand, what is inside), Last Seen At, Lost On, Whose Is It and Mobile
- Recorded at the gate by a guard, or reported by staff with a login on the host page and the Host app
- Statuses: Looking, Found: to Collect, Returned and Closed
- Not the One undoes a wrong match; the item stays kept and the search goes on
- Close with Why Closed when the person found it themselves; Reopen if needed
Hand-over and keeping time
- Hand it over records who collected it, their mobile, the ID shown, the guard who handed it over and when
- The match closes the report as Returned and the owner is told
- Keep Found Items: 30 days to start with; after that the item shows under the filter Past Keeping
- Dispose: managers only, with how it was disposed of; Back to Kept undoes it
- Every change is in the history of the item and the report
What staff see on the host page and app (Growth)
- I lost something: the form, sent to the guards with Tell the guards
- Your reports, with where to collect an item once it is matched
- Kept at the gates: what is waiting, without the photo or the hidden marks, with This is mine
- Found it yourself? Say where, and Close
Who uses it
GuardLogs found items, records reports at the gate, matches them and hands items over.
Host (staff)Reports a loss, looks through what the gates hold and says This is mine.
Security managerSees every gate's items and reports, and disposes of items past their keeping time.
Helpdesk requesterWith SmartMy Desk, reports a lost item as a ticket and hears on the ticket when it is found.
Where you use it
- Web: the guard page at /guard, Lost and found
- Web: Visitors > Gate > Parcels and Lost Items > Lost and Found > Found Items and Lost Reports in the back office
- The SmartMy VMS Guard app: Lost & found (built and in testing, not in the app stores yet)
- Web and app for hosts: Lost and found on the host page and in the Host app, from Growth
- Not a signature pad: the hand-over records the name, mobile and ID shown, not a signature
What you control
Settings
- Keep Found Items (days): 30 to start with, on the Visitors tab of the Entity
- With SmartMy Desk: Issue Type for Lost Items, Lost Item to start with
Notifications
- Lost Item Reported: to the gate staff when someone reports a loss on the host page or app. By app push, WhatsApp, SMS, email and in-app
- Found Item Claimed: to the gate staff when someone says This is mine, by the same channels
- Lost Item Found: to the person who reported it, when a kept item is matched, with where to collect it
- Lost Item Handed Over: to the person who reported it, with who collected it and where
- SMS comes with Growth and WhatsApp with Scale; each person can switch off a channel, such as email, for themselves; in-app notices always arrive
Works with
SmartMy DeskA helpdesk ticket of the issue type Lost Item opens a lost report at the gate. The requester is told on the ticket when the item is found, and handing it over solves the ticket.
Questions
How do we stop the wrong person claiming an item?
Write marks only the owner would know when you log the item, such as a name on a card inside. They are never shown on the lists people see. The guard asks about them, and records the ID shown at the hand-over.Can staff look for their things themselves?
Yes, from Growth. On the host page and in the Host app they report a loss and see what the gates keep. They press This is mine on their item.What happens to items nobody claims?
After the keeping time, 30 days to start with, they show under Past Keeping. A manager disposes of them and records how.Is a signature taken at the hand-over?
No. The screen records who collected the item, their mobile and the ID they showed. If your site needs a signature, keep a paper register as well.Which plan has lost and found?
Lost and found at the gate is in every plan. Reports and claims by staff on the host page and Host app come with Growth.Related features
WITH SMARTMY DESK (HELPDESK)Gate equipment faults as helpdesk ticketsWith SmartMy Desk, a guard reports a broken barrier, scanner, kiosk or light in a few taps. It becomes a helpdesk ticket for that gate. Lost items reported to the helpdesk and complaints from staff run through the same tickets.GATE, KIOSK AND GUARD TOOLSGuard screen and Guard appOne screen shows the guard who is expected, who is waiting and who is inside. One box takes a pass code, a QR, a mobile number or a name. It runs in a browser on any computer, tablet or phone, and as the Guard app.HOST APPROVALHost app and host web pageEveryone who receives visitors gets a page in the browser and the SmartMy VMS Host app. They approve visitors, invite guests, pre-approve cabs and deliveries, and collect parcels with a pickup code. They also name an alternate while away and raise complaints to the building office. Office staff also chat with each other inside SmartMy.GATE, KIOSK AND GUARD TOOLSParcels and deliveries at the gateThe gate logs each parcel with the courier, a photo and the shelf. The person it is for is told at once. It is handed over against a pickup code, or sent back to the courier, and every step is on record.RECORDS AND REPORTSVisitor log and visit reportsEvery visit is kept in one log. Search it by name, mobile, visit number, host, gate or vehicle, and export it to a spreadsheet. Ready analyses show visits and passes by day, type, purpose, host, gate and, with SmartMy HRMS, department.
See it on your own gate.
Tell us how many gates you have, who comes through them and how visitors are approved today. We will show you SmartMy VMS set up that way.