System and method for control of bailment inventory

1. A method for control of bailment inventory, the method comprising:

a) receiving a customer identifier from a customer;

b) receiving from the customer at least one customer item for bailment;

c) associating the customer identifier with the at least one customer item, the associating step including taking a photograph of the item and associating a tag with the customer identifier;

d) storing the at least one customer item and tag with a hanger; and

e) returning the at least one customer item to the customer;

wherein each of the steps b), d), and e) are carried out by an attendant;

wherein the customer identifier is received with a tablet computer or a smartphone having a display and a camera, the camera situated on an opposite side of the display, the camera configured to take the photograph of the item;

wherein the photograph of the item is shown on the display at least during the returning step.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining whether the customer identifier is associated with a previously known customer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving step includes entering the customer identifier into the tablet computer or the smartphone.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: creating a customer account associated with the customer, wherein the customer account includes a photograph of the customer.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: reading a customer payment card using a credit card reader operatively attached to the tablet computer or the smartphone.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the associating step includes taking a photograph of the at least one customer item.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: displaying a cost of bailment to the customer; and verifying acceptance of the cost of bailment from the customer.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: generating a data associated with the customer, the data based on at least one of the customer identifier and the at least one customer item; aggregating the data with previously generated data for at least one other customer; and generating a business intelligence report based on the data.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the customer identifier is received with the tablet computer.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the customer identifier is received with the smartphone.

11. A method for control of inventory, the method comprising:

a) receiving a customer identifier from a customer;

b) associating the customer identifier with an item and associating a tag with the customer identifier, the associating step including taking a photograph of the item;

c) exchanging the item having the tag with the customer;

wherein step cis carried out by an attendant;

wherein the customer identifier is received with a tablet computer or a smartphone having a display and a camera, the camera situated on an opposite side of the display, the camera configured to take the photograph of the item;

wherein the photograph of the item is shown on the display at least during the exchanging step.

12. A method for control of inventory, the method comprising:

a) receiving a customer identifier from a customer;

b) associating the customer identifier with an item, the associating step including taking a photograph of the item;

c) exchanging the item with the customer;

wherein step c is carried out by an attendant;

wherein the customer identifier is received with a tablet, computer or a smartphone having a display and a camera, the camera situated on an opposite side of the display, the camera configured to take the photograph of the item; wherein the photograph of the item is shown on the display at least during the exchanging step.