Control of Your Documents

The cost of storing records with an off-site storage company can seem appealing – out of sight, out of mind with a small initial expense. But a quick internet search will tell a story of how expensive it truly is and how you lose control of your own records. Here’s a summary of the common complaints about off-site storage companies:

• Lack of Access: You put your records in storage hoping to never access them, and you better be right! If you need access to a box, you’re at the mercy of their warehousing infrastructure and delivery schedule, and customers report many scheduled deliveries don’t happen.
• Lack of Control: If you don’t have full access to your records, you don’t have complete control. Complete control means you can access your records at any time, not only for business usability but to ensure the safekeeping and integrity of records.
• Price Increases: Customers report hefty annual price increases or even huge jumps when their off-site storage vendors get acquired by a larger company. Because the company has taken control of your records, your options are limited in fighting these fees.
• Add-On Fees: The cost to store the boxes is just the beginning. Want to access a record? There’s a fee to pull the box, deliver it, pick it up, and refile it. Miss your delivery? You’ll get charged again. Want to destroy? Their business model is based on keeping your boxes forever. Expect hefty fees to destroy boxes and terminate contracts.
• Lack of Customer Service: Especially when dealing with large corporations, the ability to speak with a human who can help resolve your issue – and promptly – is minimal to none.

The best answer is to avoid putting records into off-site storage to begin with. Luckily there are plenty of options for reducing the creation of paper records, digitizing existing paper records, and securely storing them in a document management system that allows you to have full access, control, and ownership. If you currently have boxes stored off-site, hope is not lost – you can still get the boxes removed, digitize them, and store them electronically! Doing so can provide a significant Return on Investment (ROI), and give you better access and control of your own records.