How do I tell my shredding clients about the new owner’s certificate of destruction process?

Clients buy a shredding service so they can prove their records were destroyed. Any change to the certificate process touches that proof, so be precise. Before you write to anyone, ask the buyer to describe how certificates will be produced, signed, sent and stored, and compare it with what you do now. Note every difference.

Then send a personal letter or email, followed by a call to your larger clients. Say who the new owner is, when the change takes effect, and what remains the same: the crews, the pickup schedule, the bins. Explain any change in the certificate format or delivery, and where earlier certificates and records will be kept so clients can still ask for them.

Tell clients how to reach someone with questions, and name that person. Some clients will have their own compliance rules, so invite them to raise concerns and give the buyer a chance to answer. Your lawyer can advise on what your client agreements say about notice and records. Keep a note of the clients you spoke to and what they asked, and share it with the buyer so the answers stay consistent. If a client asks for something you cannot answer, say you will find out, then do.

Key takeaways

• Describe any change to certificates plainly, and say where old ones are kept.
• Contact large clients personally as well as in writing.
• Give clients one named person to ask.