When it’s time to get rid of years and years of old files, or finally empty the backroom before an office move, there isn’t a better service around than purge shredding. It’s secure, easy, and fast, which is why it’s one of our most popular services here at Gator Shredding. However, if you’re reading this, you’re probably already well-acquainted with the benefits of purge shredding – but you may not be getting as much out of it as you could be.
Throughout our years as a shredding provider to the states of West Virginia and Ohio, we’ve noticed a few recurring mistakes that new purge shredding customers tend to make. We want you to take full advantage of the freedom and savings that shredding can provide, which is why we’re going to go over these mistakes and tell you how to avoid making them during your next purge shredding appointment.
1. Not Shredding Everything You Should
Shredding documents is one of the most secure ways to guarantee that information won’t be lost, misplaced, or stolen after it’s discarded. Our clients typically turn to us to shred old files, records, or unneeded copies of payroll or tax information. But they could – and should – be shredding so much more.
Instead of limiting the scope of your purge shredding preparations to obvious files, like tax records or customer account information, consider what personally identifiable information (PII) means. It refers to details like names, addresses, phone numbers, and signatures. These pieces of information can all be found on documents that are far outside the scope of daily operations. Think about junk mail, meeting notes, greeting cards, internal memos, and client-provided printouts or requests. Chances are good that all of these contain some form of PII, which means they should also be included in your purge shredding plan.
Purge shredding means you can shred as much as you want at a single time, so why overlook these documents and be forced to call for a second shredding appointment? Take the time to be thorough in your evaluation of which documents to get rid of, and you won’t just have a cleaner, more orderly office – you’ll also get way more value for your money.
2. Only Shredding Paper Documents
Shredding paper documents may seem obvious. After all, that’s the main purpose of shredding services, right? If you’re conducting a purge of old information, you also likely have information recorded in several different formats, and it’s important not to forget about the data contained on hard drives or other e-media devices.
A single hard drive can contain a library’s worth of information, but unfortunately, most people don’t give them a second thought after a cursory deletion. Once the files have been dragged to the digital recycling bin, they’re gone, right?
Wrong.
A digital imprint of that data will remain on the physical hard drive and can be retrieved with the right training. When you call to request your purge shredding service, consider whether or not you have any e-media to get rid of. If you do, ask about supplementing the purge with hard drive shredding. It’s just as secure, and, as with the discarding of junk mail, it allows you to take full advantage of your shredding appointment.
3. Not Using Purge Shredding to Improve Your Reputation
This is the big one. When most of our customers call in, all they’re thinking about is using our purge shredding services to clear out their offices, when in fact, purge shredding can be a clever marketing and networking tool. If you work in an office surrounded by other businesses, or if you collaborate with other companies regularly, chances are good that they, too, have documents that need to be safely discarded.
Instead of keeping your purge shredding appointment to your own company, extend an offer for your neighbor companies to join in. Not only does it demonstrate your business’s commitment to robust information management and stewardship, but it’s a great opportunity for on-the-job networking.
Similarly, if you’re looking to enhance your reputation within your community, opening your shredding appointment to your clients and customers is a great way to demonstrate that same commitment. You can even make a proper Shred Day out of the occasion.
Learn More About Gator’s Purge Shredding Services
Like any other tool, purge shredding will only do as much for you as you think to ask of it. We hope that you now have a better idea of the potential it can unlock and that you’ll be able to enjoy the most value possible from your purge shredding appointment.
Gator Shredding is proud to provide shredding services following the highest standards of security considerations and in full compliance with the latest state and federal privacy regulations. To request more information about purge shredding, or for a free service quote, give us a call at (304) 488-8627 or send us a message online.