General FAQs About Tab Service Company & Our Services

Tab Service Company started in 1960 by Robert Lambert Sr., who began the company in Chicago, Illinois with a single IBM tabulating machine. For over 65 years we have helped organizations manage their data and documents nationwide. We are still family-owned, now run by the third generation.

Colleges and universities, hospitals, banks, law firms, union benefit funds and other organizations dealing with compliance-heavy processes. We also work with government agencies, nonprofits, insurance companies, manufacturers, and real estate firms. If you are handling sensitive information or dealing with regulations, we can help you with it!

When you call Tab, you talk to us, not a call center. We’ve been around 65 years because we treat relationships seriously. Many of our employees have been here for decades. So have our clients. 98% stick with us, some for 20 or 30 years.

We are SOC 2 compliant. In 65 years, we’ve never had a data breach. And we know the regulations you deal with, HIPAA, GLBA, FERPA, ERISA, because we work with them every day.

No, we work with clients all across the country. You can drop off documents if you’re nearby in the Chicago area, but we also handle shipping, file uploads, and system integrations that make location irrelevant.

Both. We have processed 100 documents for a solo practitioner and a million for a Fortune 500 company. We scale to what you need.

SOC 2 Type II, which means annual independent audits. We also meet HIPAA, GLBA, FERPA, ERISA, ADA Section 508, GDPR, and CCPA requirements depending on what applies to your work.

Data protection is our foundation, not an add-on. We employ:

• 256-bit SSL encryption for all data transmission
• Encrypted storage for data at rest
• Role-based access controls with multi-factor authentication
• Background-checked staff with security training
• Complete audit trails for all data access
• Secure document destruction with certificates
• Business continuity and disaster recovery protocols

Yes. We will sign whatever security agreement you need, including NDAs, Business Associate Agreements for HIPAA.

We have never had a data breach in 65 years. But we maintain incident response procedures, breach notification protocols, cyber liability insurance, and remediation plans.

We offer NAID-certified secure destruction for both physical and electronic media. You get certificates of destruction for your compliance files. You decide whether you want originals back or securely destroyed based on your retention requirements.

We scan virtually any document type including:

• Standard business documents (8.5×11, legal size)
• Oversized documents (blueprints, architectural drawings, posters up to 60″ wide)
• Bound materials (books, manuals)
• Fragile or historical documents
• Forms, applications, surveys
• Medical records, legal files, financial documents

Searchable PDFs mostly, but also TIFF, JPEG, PNG, and others. For legal work, we create load files for Concordance, Summation, and Relativity. For research, we deliver data in SPSS, R, SAS, Excel, or CSV formats.

Yes! We integrate with hundreds of industry-specific platforms including:

• Higher Education: Banner, Colleague, PeopleSoft, PowerCampus, Nelnet
• Healthcare: Epic, Cerner, Allscripts, Meditech
• Financial Services: Jack Henry, Fiserv, FIS, Encompass
• Legal: Concordance, Summation, Relativity, Clio
• Benefit Funds: Employco, Janus, BeneSys, Futureplan

We build custom API connections when needed.

We maintain 99.99% accuracy for OCR document scanning services across through dual verification workflows, multi-point quality control, and experienced staff review. For tax forms and financial data, our standard is ZERO errors.

Depends on what you need:

• Per-page pricing for document scanning
• Per-piece pricing for print/mail and tax forms
• Per-record pricing for data entry 
• Project-based pricing for large initiatives
• Monthly subscription for ongoing services
• Hybrid models combining base fees with volume pricing

We quote based on volume, complexity, and timeline. Volume discounts apply.

Sometimes, but not always. Many services have no setup fees. We’re not into locking people into contracts and we would rather earn your business.

Yes. More volume, better rate. Multi-service bundles also receive discounts.

We offer net 30 payment terms for established clients. New clients may be invoiced upon project completion. We accept checks, ACH transfers, and credit cards. Special payment arrangements can be discussed for large annual contracts.

Call (312) 527-4306, email, or use our contact form. We’ll talk about what you need and get you a quote in 24-48 hours. Free, no strings attached.

The basics:

• Description of your project 
• Volume estimates (documents, records, forms)
• Timeline and deadline requirements
• Output format preferences
• Any industry-specific compliance requirements
• Integration or system requirements

We will figure out the details once we know what you’re working on.

We offer multiple secure transfer methods:

• Physical dropoff in the Chicago area
• Shipping to our secure facility
• Secure file upload through our encrypted portal
• SFTP/FTPS for automated transfers
• API integration for real-time exchange

We handle staple removal, unfolding, organizing and other document prep work. Basic organization helps (group things by project, label your boxes), but we’ll work with whatever you send. Same for data files, we accept virtually any format.

Yes. You’ll get an account manager who learns your business and becomes your main point of contact. No call centers and no ticket systems. Just direct access to someone who knows you.

You can make changes at no charge before final approval. After completion, we handle corrections promptly, fees depend on the scope. Post-filing corrections are included at no extra cost for all tax forms.

We will fix any errors. Re-process, correct, adjust. Whatever it takes. 98% of our clients stay with us because we stand behind our work.

Yes! Hundreds to millions of documents. Our equipment and staff scale to your needs without cutting corners on quality or speed.

We’ve dealt with fragile and deteriorated documents for decades. We’ll look at what you have and recommend the best approach.

Yes. We have flatbed scanners that don’t damage bindings. For rare materials, we use specialized equipment.

Both. Full color, grayscale, or black-and-white up to 600 DPI (higher if you need it). Depends on what you need and budget.

However you want. By client number, date, document type, project name, whatever works for you.

Yes. We sign BAAs, encrypt everything, maintain access controls and audit trails, and train staff on HIPAA. We process protected health information for hospitals and healthcare organizations nationwide.

Yes. We’re FERPA compliant for educational institutions. We process student records, 1098-T forms, and educational data with all the safeguards FERPA requires.

Yes. We process loan documents, account data, and customer information for banks and credit unions with required security measures.

Yes. Document production, Bates numbering, load files, chain of custody documentation. We work with Concordance, Summation, and Relativity.

Yes. ERISA-compliant processing, contribution data entry, participant communications, 1099-R processing, and complete audit trails for DOL examinations.