Kung nag-front desk ka na, alam mo na — hindi lang booking at check-in ang trabaho natin.
Kasama rin dito ang pagiging detective, security guard, at minsan, superhero.
Lalo na kapag may lost & found drama.
“Miss, naiwan ko ata yung passport ko sa room…”
Boom! Heart attack agad sa loob mo.
Kasi alam mo na, kapag hindi mo nahandle nang maayos, puwede itong mag-trigger ng guest meltdown na mas malala pa kaysa sa fully booked tayo on a Friday night.
At minsan, nakakatawa din — kasi may mga bagay na naiwan na parang, “Ha? Bakit dinala pa ‘to sa hotel?”
Pero kahit gaano pa ka-weird o ka-simple, trabaho pa rin natin yan i-handle like a pro.
Kaya today, kwentuhan tayo.
Real talk tips.
Mga napulot sa experience.
At syempre, konting tawa para hindi puro stress.
Bakit Importante ang Lost & Found Skills sa Front Desk
Alam mo yung feeling na nagbibilang ka ng maleta sa airport at may nawawala?
Ganon din ang vibe ng guest kapag nawala ang gamit nila sa hotel.
Isipin mo, isang guest nag-checkout, nagpunta na sa airport, tapos narealize niyang naiwan niya yung passport.
Kung hindi mo alam paano mag-handle, disaster yun.
Pero kung maayos, calm, at systematic ang approach mo, puwede mo pang i-save ang buong bakasyon niya.
At ano ang reward?
- Malaking thank you
- Posibleng five-star review
- At minsan, tip (aminin natin, bonus yan 😂)
So hindi lang ito about returning items.
It’s about trust.
Kapag nakita ng guest na organized, transparent, at maaasahan ka pagdating sa lost & found, ang image nila sa buong hotel level up bigla.
At bilang front desk staff, ikaw yung face ng hotel.
Ikaw yung “hero” o “kontrabida” sa eksenang ito.
So kung gusto mong maging pro, dapat may sistema ka.
The Golden Rule – Always Treat Every Item as Important
Okay, quick kwento.
May isang guest na nag-checkout, iniwan lang sa drawer yung maliit na teddy bear.
Akala ng housekeeping, laruan lang.
Pero nung binalik, umiiyak na si guest kasi galing daw sa late grandma niya.
Ganun siya ka-sentimental.
Lesson?
Never underestimate ang value ng isang bagay.
Kahit charger lang yan, kahit ballpen lang yan, kahit tsinelas lang na butas — totoo, importante yan sa nagmamay-ari.
Isipin mo rin: gaano ka ba nagwawala kapag hindi mo makita yung cellphone mo ng 5 minutes?
Ganun din si guest.
So ang mindset dapat,
Kung hindi akin, hindi ko problema ang halaga — trabaho ko lang ibalik ng maayos.
Paano Mag-Handle ng Lost & Found Items
1. Document agad – huwag hintayin bukas
Isang gabi, may housekeeping na nagreport ng gold bracelet na naiwan sa ilalim ng bed.
Ang night shift agent, tamad na mag-log kasi “late na, bukas ko na isusulat.”
Kinabukasan, ibang agent naka-duty, nalito, hindi alam kung saan galing yung bracelet.
Nagkaroon ng mini panic kasi may guest na nag-claim.
Kung documented sana agad, walang problema.
So rule #1: log agad.
Isulat mo,
- Description ng item
- Saan nahanap
- Anong oras
- Sino ang nakakita
Think of it as CCTV sa papel.
Kung may magtanong, may proof ka.
2. Store it properly – parang museum exhibit
Imagine this, naiwan na iPad.
Kung iniwan lang sa drawer ng front desk, tapos biglang may ibang staff na aksidenteng natapon ang kape...
Goodbye iPad.
Kaya dapat may tamang storage.
- Electronics → safe
- Jewelry → sealed envelope
- Cash → manager’s safe with dual key access
Parang museum — kasi bawat gamit may storya, may value, at kailangan mong protektahan.
3. Communicate with guests – clarity is king
Ito na yung make or break.
Scenario: Guest calls, galit na galit.
“Hello?! I left my laptop in your hotel. Where is it?!”
Kung sagot mo,
“Uh, di ko po alam eh…”
Patay ka na.
Mas okay ganito:
“Hello Ma’am/Sir, thank you for reaching out. We do have a Lost & Found log, and I’ll be happy to check it for you. Can you describe the item and where you think you left it?”
Pansin mo yung tone?
Calm, helpful, may direction.
And don’t forget, verify.
Guest: “It’s a black HP laptop.”
You: “Ma’am, we have a black HP laptop logged yesterday from Room 508. Can you confirm if it has a sticker or any unique mark?”
Hindi lahat ng nagc-claim totoo.
May mga opportunista din.
4. Return with care – parang may ceremony
Kapag confirmed na, huwag basta abot parang Jollibee order.
Smile.
Explain na naka-log siya.
Ipakita na naka-seal.
At pa-sign si guest sa claim form.
Pwede mo pa dagdagan ng light script.
“Here’s your item, Ma’am. We made sure to store it securely. Please just sign here for our records.”
Para safe ka, safe sila, at may paper trail ka kung sakali may issue later.
Mga Funny Lost & Found Moments (Relatable Edition)
- Prosthetic teeth
Guest: “Can I still get it back?”
Staff: “Yes po, sanitized na.”
Awkward pero trabaho is trabaho.
Awkward pero trabaho is trabaho.
- Wallet na puno ng Monopoly money
Guest swore collection daw.Tayo naman, “Sige po, sir, documented na yan.”
- Charger wars
Yung limang guests claiming parehong charger.Staff: “May special markings po ba?”
Guest 1: “Yes, may tape.”
Guest 2: “Ako rin, may tape!”
Parang Squid Game, pero front desk edition.
- Shoes na hindi pares
Guest: “Sir, naiwan ko yung sapatos ko sa room.”Housekeeping: “Yes po, pero isa lang.”
Guest: “Okay lang, sentimental yan.”
Umuwi siyang may isang sapatos lang pero happy.
Lesson?
Lahat pwede mangyari, pero professionalism pa rin.
Hospitality Tips to Level Up Your Lost & Found Handling
- Stay calm under pressure. Kahit may magpanic na guest, ikaw dapat anchor ng situation.
- Use positive language. Instead of “Wala po,” try “We’ll double-check our log for you.”
- Empathize. “I understand po how important that is, let’s work together to track it.”
- Always follow policy. Huwag gagawa ng sariling rules.
Ito yung small habits na nagpapakita ng tunay na hospitality pro.
How Lost & Found Makes You a Stronger Front Desk Pro
Kung tutuusin, ang lost & found skills ay training ground for bigger things.
Dito ka natututo ng,
- Attention to detail (parang detective ka everyday)
- Communication skills (lalo na pag galit ang guest)
- Problem-solving under stress (kasi laging time-sensitive)
In short, hindi lang siya tungkol sa gamit.
Tungkol siya sa growth mo as a front desk professional.
At kung kaya mong i-handle ang ganitong scenario with grace, kaya mo na rin mag-level up sa ibang challenges.
FAQ: Front Desk Staff Lost & Found Concerns
Q1: Paano kung hindi claimed ng guest within 6 months?
A: Depende sa hotel policy — usually donated or disposed. Importante na may clear policy ka laging binabalikan.
Q2: Paano kung multiple guests ang nag-claim ng same item?
A: Verify details (color, brand, markings). Kung hindi clear, escalate to management.
Q3: Paano kung guest insists na staff ang kumuha?
A: Stay calm, follow protocol, escalate to manager. Never argue directly.
Q4: Ano dapat gawin kung guest abroad na?
A: Offer shipping option, but clarify na guest will shoulder cost.
Q5: Kailangan ba ng signature for all claims?
A: Yes, always. Protects both you and the hotel.
Conclusion: Lost & Found = Respect Earned
Handling lost & found items parang maliit na bagay sa routine.
Pero para sa guest, it’s everything.
Dito nila nakikita kung gaano ka ka-professional, ka-responsable, at ka-maaasahan.
At para sa career mo, ito yung mga simpleng moments na nagpapakita ng true hospitality spirit.
Kaya next time na may naiwan si guest, tandaan mo: hindi lang gamit ang binabalik mo.
Binabalik mo rin yung trust.
At ‘yun ang pinakamahalagang souvenir na puwede nilang iuwi mula sa hotel mo.