5 Important Questions to Ask Your Shredding and Destruction Provider

A shredding and destruction service benefits your business in many ways. Unfortunately, not all shredding and destruction companies are the same. Before you hire a provider to destroy your confidential documents and files, ask these five important questions.

1. How does the shredding process work?

Outsourced document destruction saves you time and money, but only if the shredding process is efficient and secure. Secure, barcoded collection containers are placed in your office free of charge. Your staff places any unwanted paperwork into your containers without having to remove staples, paper clips or sticky notes. When filled, a uniformed service representative scans each barcode and records the fill level. Then your documents are shredded on-site with a mobile shredding vehicle or transported to off-site to a shredding plant for destruction. You are provided with a Certificate of Destruction for your records.

2. How do I know my information is safe?

Asking this question will help you determine if your documents will be safeguarded during destruction. The right shredding and destruction service will put security at the top of the priority list. Shredding specialists are screened and receive extensive background checks to ensure the security of your confidential information. Each specialist signs a confidentiality agreement, undergoes extensive training, and follows strict chain of custody procedures.

3. I work remotely. What’s the easiest way to have my records destroyed?

If you don’t have a traditional office, or travel frequently, you still need a reliable and secure privacy protection solution. A shredding and destruction provider that offers a drop off shred service enables you to destroy your information on the go. Simply drop off your documents at their shredding facility for prompt destruction. You can even watch the destruction process and receive a Certificate of Destruction when your records are destroyed.

4. I have digital media that needs to be destroyed. Do you shred hard drives and tapes?

This question will help you decide if a potential vendor has the ability to offer a comprehensive information destruction solution. Like paper records, hard drives, tapes, and compact disks also contain sensitive information. Deleting or overwriting these devices still leaves your data vulnerable to unauthorized access. Besides destroying your paper records, the right shredding and destruction partner will also shred your media onsite.

5. What happens to my information after it’s shredded?

A professional shredding service should protect your privacy and the environment. The right provider recycles all shredded material. Immediately after your documents are destroyed, shredded material is baled and shipped to a paper recycler or directly to a pulp mill where it is used to produce a wide variety of consumer and business products.

Ask these five crucial questions when choosing an efficient and secure shredding and destruction provider for your business.

Records Management Center offers shredding and destruction services for businesses throughout Augusta, Evans, Thomson, and Martinez, GA, plus Aiken, SC and the Central Savannah River Area. For more information, please contact us by phone or complete the form on this page.