First time hiring a shredding service?
At Secure Records Solutions, we work with many clients who are outsourcing their shredding for the first time ever. After years of DIY shredding, they have outgrown their ability to efficiently and effectively shred in-house. We urge clients who are beginning this process for the first time to do proper due diligence; however, many clients don’t even know what questions to ask. Therefore, we put together a list of eight questions any company should ask a potential shredding company before hiring them.
Do you have the NAID AAA-Certification?
The National Association for Information Destruction, Inc. (“NAID”) is the standards setting body for the information destruction industry. It is the only consumer watchdog association that audits the qualifications of data destruction providers. NAID has developed the AAA Certification Program, a voluntary program for NAID member companies. The AAA accreditation process establishes testing and auditing requirements for clients’ protection. The NAID AAA Certification verifies the qualifications of certified information destruction providers through a comprehensive scheduled and surprise, unannounced audit program. NAID reviews more than 20 areas of operational and security requirements including particle size, employee screening and training, transport, access control, video surveillance, procedures and record keeping. Companies must renew their certification each year. If a company has multiple locations, each location must pass the audit to be certified. NAID members who receive certification must specify the location certified in company literature when referencing the NAID Certification program.
Are there any hidden fees or charges?
Understand before you sign up how you will be charged. Common “hidden” fees are trip fees, recycle charges, and fuel surcharges. At Secure Records Solutions, we price based on “trip fees” and we only charge when we come. There will never be any surprises on your bill. We believe in keeping it simple and transparent for our clients!
Do you offer onsite or offsite shredding?
It’s important to know where your documents will be shredded. Secure Records Solutions offers both mobile (onsite) and offsite shredding. Importantly, both mobile and offsite shredding are equally secure and NAID AAA-certified. Some companies have different preferences or legal requirements, we are flexible enough to offer both solutions for our clients. Our client service specialists can walk you through the differences and benefits of both methods so you can choose the best fit for your office.
What type of shredder do you use?
The average desktop shredder can shred around 10 sheets of paper per pass. And before paper can go through the shredder, binder clips, staples, and bands will have to be removed. SRS’s facility shredder can destroy 350 sheets of paper per pass; that equates to 2.5 tons of paper per hour. And you don’t have to waste valuable time removing staples, binder clips or rubber bands. Our industrial shredder handles that for you. And the shredded pieces are so small to meet the industry’s highest regulations.
What happens to the paper after it destroyed?
Your paper will be securely handled using chain-of-custody and destroyed. As a NAID-AAA certified facility, we meet the industry’s most stringent standards for document destruction.
Knowing what happens to the paper after it is destroyed goes beyond security to sustainability, which is an important consideration for us at SRS. For SRS, we bale the shredded paper bits and recycle it. In 2019, Secure Records Solutions actually recycled 2.8 million pounds of paper. That equates to
- 19,832 trees;
- 443,293 gallons of oil;
- 3,499 cubic yards of landfill space;
- 4,667,333 kilowatts of energy; and
- 8,165,926 gallons of water saved.
It helps your business be a part of the solution.
Do I receive a certificate of destruction?
A certificate of destruction offers legal proof of destruction. It’s a physical record of your ability to rest easy knowing your documents have been safely destroyed.
Do you have any client references I can speak to?
Clients can give you an honest review of the services they receive. Google reviews are one way to learn about clients’ experiences, as are testimonials, case studies, or actual references to businesses of similar size or service as yours.
Do you offer no-touch shredding services?
Being a top-tier shredding service requires flexibility as the environment changes. In the wake of COVID-19, we began offering no-touch shred service to minimize any in-person interactions but maximize efficiency for clients as they navigated the crisis. Ask your potential shredding service about heightened sanitation efforts, mask-wearing, and other protocols.
If your business is looking to implement a shredding program, give Secure Records Solutions a call today. Our friendly and experienced staff will help you create a customized program to meet your company’s unique needs.
