Questions You Should Always Ask a Shredding Service
Document destruction is something that all businesses practice. This is because certain information—such as documents regarding taxes, medical records, and other sensitive information—can only reside in a company’s records for a specific amount of time. Once that time is up, a company will need to seek the help of a shredding service to dispose of such documents. However, before doing this, make sure to read through these questions you should always ask a shredding service to ensure you’re dealing with a reliable company.
“Do you have NAID AAA certification?”
NAID stands for the National Association of Information Destruction. This organization monitors the document destruction industry to ensure all companies use secure destruction practices, have the proper insurance in place, take care of their equipment, and follow additional practices in order to abide by industry guidelines. If you ask a shredding service this question and they answer “no,” then you should look elsewhere for your document destruction needs. However, if they do have NAID AAA certification, it’s a promise that they will dispose of your documents securely, safely, and in accordance with industry standards.
“How long have you been in the business?”
You should use a shredding service that has been in the business for multiple years. The more years of experience a company has, the more efficient and reliable it can be. This will be especially helpful if you want to schedule regular shredding appointments. If you’re dealing with a company with a strong reputation and an equally strong financial situation, you’ll hopefully be able to rely on them for many years.
“How do you price your services?”
All shredding services need to follow the same industry guidelines; not all of them charge customers the same way, though. Some companies will charge you per bin of paper, whereas others will charge per pound. In some cases, shredding services will even charge by the amount of time it takes to complete the document destruction process. At the end of the day, make sure you understand and are comfortable with how the payment process works. Don’t forget to ask about potential additional charges as well.
“What shredding options do you offer?”
Most shredding services offer onsite plans that include a truck showing up to your office with a shredder and destroying documents right in front of you. Offsite plans, on the other hand, typically mean the service will pick up the documents from your office and dispose of them at a separate facility. Additionally, some shredding services offer other forms of data disposal such as hard drive, CD, and laptop destruction.
These four questions you should always ask a shredding service will help you find a company that is reputable, reliable, and secure. If this is your first time working with a shredding service, you should familiarize yourself with how document shredding works. That way, you can set the right expectations for your shredding process. Plus, having this knowledge helps you form any additional questions you might have as they pertain to your company’s specific needs.
