diff --git a/server/internal/store/api_people.go b/server/internal/store/api_people.go
index 1e211e7..794c5de 100644
--- a/server/internal/store/api_people.go
+++ b/server/internal/store/api_people.go
@@ -59,7 +59,13 @@ func (s *Store) SearchVisitors(ctx context.Context, clientID, query string, limi
 		               OR v.label ILIKE $3 ESCAPE '\'
 		               OR p.full_name ILIKE $3 ESCAPE '\'
 		               OR p.phone     ILIKE $3 ESCAPE '\'
-		               OR p.email     ILIKE $3 ESCAPE '\')
+		               OR p.email     ILIKE $3 ESCAPE '\'
+		               -- Notes are searched for ONE reason: a merge records the
+		               -- phone and name it had to discard there, and a customer
+		               -- reached by their old number is exactly who somebody is
+		               -- looking for when they type it. Retained-but-unfindable
+		               -- answers the letter of "nothing is lost" and not the point.
+		               OR p.notes     ILIKE $3 ESCAPE '\')
 		ORDER BY v.last_seen_at DESC NULLS LAST, v.first_seen_at DESC
 		LIMIT $4`,
 		clientID, strings.TrimSpace(query), likePattern(strings.TrimSpace(query)),