Tom’s Tech Tip: Increase Your Chances of Getting Your Legal Nurse Consulting Gear Back

Let’s face it, it’s human to lose things and since most of us are human, we’re going to lose things. I’m not proud to say it, but on a daily basis I lose my car keys, my wallet and occasionally my temper. So far though, I haven’t (permanently) lost my digital camera, iPhone^®, iPad^®, laptop or sanity. However, I do assume that the day is inevitable that one (or more) of those will go walkabout.

Any savvy Certified Legal Nurse Consultant will agree that having “Find my iPhone” only helps if your lost iPad, iPhone or MacBook^® Air is turned on and connected to the Internet when you discover it’s missing. If your device is hidden in your home or forgotten in a local Starbucks^® it may help you recover it. But, if a miscreant who finds your device has the presence of mind, as well as requisite criminal intent to keep the device, they’ll simply turn it off or put it in airplane mode until they can safely boot it and wipe your information from it (or worse, my CLNC^® amigos, listen to your music). That alone is a good reason to have a passcode on your phone and computer.

The other day, someone whose name won’t be mentioned in this or any other Tech Tip, left their iPod^® on “the company plane” (a Southwest Airlines flight). The loss wasn’t discovered until the next day. A report was filed and some lucky cleaning person has a new, slightly used iPod chock full of Broadway show tunes.

There are different ways to mark your property to hopefully ensure its return. You can put a Stuffbak or other label on it. If you don’t like putting an UGLY label on your cool device, here’s one easier method.

Simply take a picture of a card with your name, legal nurse consulting business mailing address and cell phone number on it, asking the finder to text you and promising a reward for its return. Put that in the pictures or camera roll on your device and keep it there. There’s no guarantee it will work, but, I do guarantee you that everyone who finds a lost (or stolen) device looks through the pictures (it’s human nature) and perhaps they’ll feel a twinge of guilt or do-goodness and return your device to you (after looking at the rest of your photos).

As a CLNC consultant, you know that people want to do the right thing, so make it easy for them. If you’re not up for an ugly label, at least try the photo. As my favorite brother-in-law says, “It may be your only shot,” but at least you’ll have one.