7 Things to Ask a Shredding Service Before You Hire Them
With the rise in identity theft and corporate espionage, it’s more important than ever for Connecticut residents and business to shred their documents before they throw them out. So how do you choose a document destruction company? Below, we’ve provided you with some simple but important questions to ask any company you’re considering.
Are they NAID AAA Certified?
NAID is an acronym for The National Association of Information Destruction. NAID is the national organization that sets the standards and procedures in the information destruction industry that federal and state governments recognize. A shredding company that has received the AAA Certification from NAID means that they have been audited and will continue to be audited to confirm that they follow the strictest policies and procedures for document shredding. When you hire a AAA Certified company, your documents will be destroyed by one of the elite companies in the industry. It’s important to point out that not all shredding firms are AAA Certified.
Where are My Documents Shredded?
Some shredding services offer on-site shredding while others offer off-site services. On-site document destruction is when the company brings a paper shredding truck to your location to destroy your files. Off-site service is when a company picks up your confidential papers with a box truck and removes them from your location to take them to a facility to shred your documents. With on-site shredding, your private papers are shredded before the truck leaves, and you can watch it all happen. With off-site service, you don’t get to see your documents being destroyed and you never know exactly when they are destroyed. When you use on-site document destruction, one person puts your documents into a locked bin that is shredded right away. However off-site services don’t let you know how many people touch or see your papers before they’re destroyed. On-site shredding a more convenient option because the shredding service comes to you.
Does the Company Shred Monday through Saturday?
You should be able to have your documents shredded when it’s most convenient for you. Some companies may tell you that they are in your area only on a specific day. You shouldn’t have to be restricted to one or two particular days a week. Your shredding should be on your schedule. Companies that give you the opportunity to choose the best day for your schedule are more focused on providing good service. That carries through to when they come to shred your documents.
How Do You Charge for Your Services?
Some companies charge per bin, per box, per pound or by the time it takes to shred. Try to hire a company that charges per bin or box it is much easier to control. Also, make sure you ask if there are any additional charges such as fuel surcharges, stair charges, or any other additional costs.
Trust Your First Impression
How the company answers the phone and displays an eagerness to help you is a always good indication of what type of company they are. It can let you know how focused they are on providing excellent customer service. The easier they make it for you to understand how their services work, get a quote, and schedule the service speaks volumes about the company.
FileShred provides on-site document shredding services to residential and business customers in Connecticut. For more information, please give us a call or visit www.fileshred.net.
