Would You Believe LinkedIn Helped Me Find My Lost Mobile Phone?

Have you ever lost your mobile phone? Well, it happened to me last week as I was flying ex Coffs Harbour to Melbourne. Somehow, somewhere I put my phone down prior to boarding and left my mobile in the terminal. I did not realise until I had boarded and consoled myself, you must have it somewhere, you just can’t find it now.

?I checked in to my hotel in Melbourne and then started to panic as this is the first time in 30 years of owning a mobile phone, that I had lost it. However, within 30 minutes of hotel check-in, I found a message on LinkedIn from Bradley Benson,? the Operations Manager at Coffs Harbour Airport, headed Lost Phone – with a message -

?Hello. I may have your mobile phone. Please get in touch with us. Kind regards Brad

?I had a couple of business cards in the pocket of my mobile phone, thankfully. In nanoseconds I responded to Brad, thank you, I am returning on Wednesday night from working in Melbourne, I will collect it then. That was going to be a little tricky as the office closed at 5pm, however, I was so grateful I was more than happy to potentially drive from Woolgoolga (where I have been living for only 3 weeks) to collect my phone on Thursday.

?Divine intervention stepped in. My car park ticket was also in the pocket of my mobile phone. When we landed at around 8.30 pm it was wet and cold, but we were home and the passengers gratefully exited the plane. I made my way to the car park exit and then approached a woman about to exit, and asked if she would mind phoning the car park emergency number so that I could explain my situation, pay for the 2 day parking fee and drive home. She handed me her phone and said, that’s fine, you can make the call. I know this would never happen in a capital city airport.

?My call was answered by Michael Sully, who I learned later worked with Bradley Benson. Michael patiently listened to me babble on about losing my phone and I was coming back in the morning to pick it up, but how can I pay for my parking ticket now? Etc. etc. Michael stopped me and said, “That’s fine Robyn, I can get your phone, I know where it is”. The car park was emptying as was the airport terminal, and when I asked how I would know Michael, he said he was wearing a yellow jacket. Absolutely no chance of this happening in Sydney airport.

Picture me, wet, bedraggled, standing in the empty arrivals lounge calling out, “Michael, are you there, Michael, it’s Robyn?” When I walked outside, I saw a man wearing a yellow jacket coming towards me with my phone. I don’t think I have ever been more pleased to see someone in my entire life! I thanked Michael profusely, offered him a tip, which he declined and said, ‘It’s part of my job”. In hindsight he didn’t ask for identification I guess he realised no one else would make up a silly story like this.

?Now I know that Michael and Brad’s job description does not include, “Be kind to a crazy woman, who has lived in the area for 5 minutes and has lost her phone”.

?However, I am eternally grateful for both Bradley and Michael for taking the time to help me out. Not only did they save me the cost of a new phone and a huge amount of stress, they made me realise why the mid-north coast of NSW is very different from living in Sydney or another capital city.

I may only be a Woolgoolga resident for 3.5 weeks so far, but I know I am going to LOVE living here. Bradley, Michael and the lady who allowed me to use her phone are kind, thoughtful people and a reflection of people living in the Coffs Harbour area.

?Robyn Henderson

Woolgoolga