How to Make the Pickup of Your Confidential Documents Go Smoothly

By Troy Robbins, Shred Coach

Confidential documents, such as medical records, legal papers, and other materials headed for confidential destruction, require special handling. Infoshred clients are an essential part of that process. How you collect, store and safeguard those documents before pick-up is an integral part of a secure chain of custody.

My work involves the secure destruction of Infoshred clients’ sensitive documents and electronics.  In the 21 years I’ve been at Infoshred, it’s been my responsibility to keep the information in those documents confidential and out of the hands of identity thieves.  I started working with clients, picking up and safeguarding those documents until they were safely destroyed.  Today, I help train, coach, and supervise Infoshred’s 21 drivers on securely picking up, transporting, and destroying sensitive documents.

Here are a few tips to help safeguard the security of your documents before and during pickup by our Infoshred drivers:

• Keep papers intact – Place all papers in the collection bin in one piece, not ripped into small pieces. That way, when drivers pick up the bins, small pieces won’t scatter. This will make the pick-up go quickly and keep the area around the bin neat and tidy.
• Make sure the collection bin is in an easily accessible and well-lit area – This will help the driver get in and out quickly without disrupting your company’s operations.
• Avoid overfilling the bin. If there’s more paper than the bin can hold, documents can fall out during pickup. Documents partially outside the bin aren’t secure and could easily end up in the wrong hands.
• Avoid putting things other than paper in the collection bin – The bins are designed to hold only paper. If you need to securely dispose of electronics that contain confidential information, such as computers, laptops and thumb drives, just let us know. Our drivers will handle those separately.
• Expect to sign for the pickup – We require a signature to guarantee that all materials are safely transferred into the Infoshred driver’s care.  That way, you have documentation that our drivers were there and collected all the materials you need safely destroyed.
• Know that all your materials are in secure custody. We track materials as soon as they are picked up, monitor them on their journey to our secure East Windsor facility and verify their confidential destruction. When the process is complete, you will receive a Certificate of Destruction.
• Depend upon the professionalism of Infoshred drivers. Infoshred drivers have earned their place on our team. Before we hire them, they are thoroughly background-checked, and then we train them in the proper handling of confidential materials. Throughout their time on our team, we train and coach them in the best ways to safeguard our customers’ materials. Our top-rated Google reviews and regular unsolicited compliments from customers testify to their confidence in the professionalism of our drivers.

We take the job of protecting your materials seriously. Our clients come to us because they trust we will handle their materials professionally. It’s a team effort between our company, drivers and you. Together, we can keep your confidential information safe and secure.

For more information about document destruction services, a tour of our facility or a quote, contact Infoshred at customerservice@infoshred.com.

Troy Robbins is one of two Shred Coaches, a former driver and a 20+ year veteran of Infoshred.  As a Shred Coach, he, along with Bill Morgan, trains, coaches, and supervises Infoshred’s 21 route driver customer service representatives on securely picking up, transporting, and destroying sensitive documents.