Whom to Select?

WesTex Document, Inc.

Our Business, Is Keeping Your Business - Your Business!

Do it yourself, or outsource the work to others.

Your decision to look for a reliable company to destroy your confidential material has brought you to our web-site. We are committed to assuring the highest levels of security protection to your material until it is destroyed. But there is always someone else to consider besides WesTex Document Inc. While we hope that you will place your trust and confidence in our services, we know that you may wish to consider other companies to service your needs. All we ask is that you do your due diligence and then decide, as so many of our customers have.

SELECTING THE RIGHT COMPANY

Because information is vital to the livelihood of your business, we both know it is essential that you select the right company based on as much information that you can obtain. We would like to offer some points that you may wish to review when selecting a company.

COMPANY PROFILE:

1) What is the company's mission? How does that mission compare with the goals and needs of your company? Do they have a good Dun & Bradstreet record?

2) How long has the company been in business and what else does it do? Are they really a recycling company, or primarily a records storage or imaging company and simply outsourcing most of their records destruction needs to others? We have seen some that are simply tearing the paper up by hand, sending it to recycling facilities, or letting less than professional companies destroy it. They then bill their customer at premium destruction fee levels for the destruction.

3) Will the company provide you with it's policy and procedures? Will it provide references? Will they provide references?

It's not enough to simply say "we take care of this bank or that firm." One statewide bank was getting a "Certificate of Destruction" from a firm and then discovered the records were being baled without shredding and sent to a paper mill - where an identity theft ring was operating. The price was right, and hey - they got a certificate of destruction! But were their customer's information secure? No two apples are ever really the same.

SECURITY:

1) Will the company permit you to tour their facility unannounced?

2) Does the facility have a program for authorized access?

3) Is the facility monitored 24-hour by an approved alarm monitoring company? Is it monitored by 24-hour video surveillance? Will they show you proof of such?

4) Does the facility have secure loading and unloading areas?

5) Does the company provide lockable collection containers?

6) Are complete background checks and credit checks done on all personnel having access to your stored or records for destruction?

7) Do company employees wear a uniform and display ID cards for easy recognition while on your property?

INSURANCE:

1) Does the company carry at least $1,000,000 in professional liability (E&O) insurance? Does it carry $2 million in general liability, worker's compensation and have more than just adequate vehicle coverage?

2) Will the company indemnify you and provide other protections?

These are just some of the minimum standards you should be looking for in a vendor. If you are a medical industry professional, you should be getting a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement from them - whether they are just storing your records or destroying them on your behalf. Security of private information can no longer be taken for granted.