Name of Process:

Lost & Found Process

Process Owner:

Ajay Sharma

Created By:

Sumit Saurabh

Last Updated By:

Date Created:

Mar 15, 2023

Last Revision Date:

Process Purpose:

The purpose of a lost and found process for a bus transportation company is to provide a system for passengers to recover items that they have lost while traveling on the bus. Losing an item can be a stressful experience for passengers, and having a clear process for reporting and retrieving lost items can help alleviate some of that stress

Overall, a well-designed lost and found process can help to enhance the overall passenger experience and increase customer satisfaction, which can lead to increased loyalty and repeat business

Process Scope:

The scope of the process includes guidelines for disposing of unclaimed items, maintaining the security of lost items, and training employees on the lost and found process. The scope of the process should be clearly defined and communicated to all employees to ensure consistency in the handling of lost items

Process Input:

The process inputs for the customer support department’s lost and found process may include:

Customer reports of lost item

Transportation company lost and found log and department details

Customer contact information

Ticket booking information

Process Boundaries:

The Lost & Found process has certain boundaries that help define its scope and ensure that it is implemented correctly. The boundaries of the process typically include the following:

Handling lost item reports: The customer support department should be responsible for receiving and processing lost item reports submitted by customers. However, the actual search for and retrieval of the lost item may be performed by the transportation company's lost and found office.

Verification of customer details: The customer support department should verify the ownership of the lost item by requesting the passenger's name, contact information, and travel itinerary from the booking record.

Providing updates to customers: The customer support department should keep the customer informed throughout the process, providing regular updates on the status of the search for the lost item.

Resolving customer complaints: The customer support department should handle any customer complaints related to lost items in a timely and efficient manner, working to resolve the issue to the customer's satisfaction.

Process Flow:

Left/Misplaced by the passenger and they are contacting us:

In the event that a passenger misplaces an item while on the bus and seeks assistance, please provide them with the email address and contact details of the transportation company and advise them to directly contact the company regarding their lost items. Sheet link mentioned to find the details of the transportation company

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HgdXIewBTVbdTSpC4SLGlYX2yBTMgk0dx3EVKrW3bEI/edit#gid=0

In case the transportation operator fails to respond to the customer's inquiry within 48 hours, they should notify OurBus customer service about the matter

The OurBus representative is responsible for contacting the transportation company directly to inquire about a lost item and requesting a prompt response

Mail to be sent to bus transportation company from your official email address (OurBus email id) marking customer service distro in cc ([email protected])

If the transportation provider fails to respond to the OurBus representative's email within 48 hours, our internal dispatch team should be notified to contact the bus operator and inquire about

Note: Ownership of Lost & Found always rests with the transportation provider, company or operator(s), and we should never assume responsibility for it

Luggage Misplaced or Lost by the Transportation Company and Passengers are contacting us:

In the event that the luggage of passenger is misplaced by the transportation company/Operator, please provide the email address and contact details of the transportation company and advise customer(s)/passenger(s) to directly contact the company. Sheet link mentioned to find the details of the tranportation company

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HgdXIewBTVbdTSpC4SLGlYX2yBTMgk0dx3EVKrW3bEI/edit#gid=0

In case the transportation operator fails to respond to the customer's inquiry within 48 hours, they should notify OurBus customer service about the matter

The OurBus representative is responsible for contacting the transportation company directly to inquire about a lost item and requesting a prompt response

Mail to be sent to bus transportation company from your official email address (OurBus email id) marking customer service distro in cc ([email protected])

If the transportation provider fails to respond to the OurBus representative's email within 48 hours, our internal dispatch team should be notified to contact the bus operator and inquire about

Note: Ownership of Lost & Found always rests with the transportation provider, company or operator(s), and we should never assume responsibility for it

Passenger(s) claims that luggage stolen from the compartment in the previous stops:

In the event that passenger(s) or customer(s) claims that the luggage is stolen from the luggage compartment, please provide the email address and contact details of the transportation company and advise customer(s)/passenger(s) to directly contact the company. The sheet link mentioned to find the details of the transportation company

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HgdXIewBTVbdTSpC4SLGlYX2yBTMgk0dx3EVKrW3bEI/edit#gid=0

In case the transportation operator fails to respond to the customer's inquiry within 48 hours, they should notify OurBus customer service about the matter

The OurBus representative is responsible for contacting the transportation company directly to inquire about a lost item and requesting a prompt response

Mail to be sent to bus transportation company from your official email address (OurBus email id) marking customer service distro in cc ([email protected])

If the transportation provider fails to respond to the OurBus representative's email within 48 hours, our internal dispatch team should be notified to contact the bus operator and inquire about

Note: We should never take the ownership of Lost & Found as it lies with the transportation provider/company/operator(s)

Passenger(s) claims that luggage got exchanged:

If a passenger or customer claims that they have received luggage that does not belong to them or that their luggage may have been exchanged with that of another passenger, in such an event:

Please provide the email address and contact details of the transportation company and advise customer(s)/passenger(s) to directly contact the company. The sheet link mentioned to find the details of the transportation company

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HgdXIewBTVbdTSpC4SLGlYX2yBTMgk0dx3EVKrW3bEI/edit#gid=0

Furthermore, an email will be sent from [email protected] to all the co-passengers, with the description of the exchanged luggage included, to inquire about any possible luggage exchange. The email will be sent in BCC

In case any of the co-passengers confirm that they have exchanged luggage by responding to our email, we will seek permission from both parties and share relevant details with them after obtaining their confirmation

If no confirmation is received, we will advise the passenger who has reported to contact the transportation company for further assistance

In case the transportation operator fails to respond to the customer's inquiry within 48 hours, they should notify OurBus customer service about the matter

The OurBus representative is responsible for contacting the transportation company directly to inquire about a lost item and requesting a prompt response

Mail to be sent to bus transportation company from your official email address (OurBus email id) marking customer service distro in cc ([email protected])

If the transportation provider fails to respond to the OurBus representative's email within 48 hours, our internal dispatch team should be notified to contact the bus operator and inquire

Note: Ownership of Lost & Found always rests with the transportation provider, company or operator(s), and we should never assume responsibility for it

Customer reaches us while the trip is still in progress regarding a lost item

We should immediately send a real-time Slack message on the dispatch channel to the dispatch team to ask the driver(s) if they can locate the misplaced item

Also, provide the email address and contact details of the transportation company and advise customer(s)/passenger(s) to directly contact the company. Sheet link mentioned to find the details of the transportation company

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HgdXIewBTVbdTSpC4SLGlYX2yBTMgk0dx3EVKrW3bEI/edit#gid=0

Process Output:

The process output for the customer support department’s lost and found process may include the following:

Updates to the passenger(s)/customer(s)

Communication with the transportation company

Notification of lost item recovery (if information received from the operators or our internal dispatch team

The primary objective of the customer support department in the lost and found process is to assist customers with details of transportation company/provider/operator and steps as mentioned in the Process Flow above

Exceptions to Normal Process Flow:

Transportation company does not respond: If the transportation company does not respond to the customer support department's inquiries and customer contacts us again, the customer support department may need to escalate the issue to a higher authority within the transportation company

Incorrect information provided by the customer: If the customer provides incorrect or incomplete information about the lost item, the search may be delayed or hindered, and the customer support department may need to request additional information from the customer, if asked by the transportation company or internal dispatch team

Control Points and Measurements:

Control points and measurements for the customer support department’s lost and found process may include:

Communication: The quality and effectiveness of communication with customers should be monitored to ensure that customers are informed and updated correctly

Due-Diligence and Follow up: Check upon the follow up mechanism with the transportation company and internal dispatch team

Response time: The response time to our follow ups with the transportation company and internal dispatch team should be measured and monitored to ensure that customers are receiving prompt and efficient service

Cost-effectiveness: The cost-effectiveness of the lost and found process should be evaluated regularly to ensure that the process is efficient and cost-effective for the company.