Privacy Policy - Battersea Carpetcleaning

This Privacy Policy explains how Battersea Carpetcleaning collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data when providing services to customers in our area. It applies to all Battersea Carpetcleaning customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who contacts us to request services, quotations, or support. We are committed to handling personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, you acknowledge that we may process your personal data as described in this policy. We aim to keep our practices clear and proportionate, collecting only the information needed to deliver services efficiently, manage our business, and meet legal obligations.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process different types of personal information depending on how you interact with us. The information we collect may include:

Identity details, such as your name and title.
Contact details, such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information, including details of the cleaning service requested, property access information, and preferred appointment times.
Payment information, such as records of payments made, invoices issued, and transaction references. We do not intentionally store full card details where payment processing is handled by a secure third party.
Communication records, including messages, call notes, complaints, queries, and feedback.
Technical information, where applicable, such as device or browser information gathered when you interact with our digital systems.
Customer history, including service dates, quotations, job notes, and any preferences relevant to future appointments.

We generally do not seek to collect special category data unless it is necessary and you have chosen to provide it. Special category data may include information about health, religion, or other sensitive matters. If such information is ever shared with us inadvertently, we will only use it where lawful and necessary, and we will apply appropriate safeguards.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and respond to enquiries.
To schedule, deliver, and manage carpet cleaning and related services.
To process payments, issue invoices, and maintain financial records.
To communicate with you about appointments, service updates, and customer support.
To manage complaints, disputes, and service quality issues.
To maintain business records and comply with tax, accounting, and regulatory requirements.
To improve our services, operations, and customer experience.
To protect our business against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We only use your information for purposes that are compatible with the reasons it was originally collected, unless we have a valid lawful basis to use it for something else.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Battersea Carpetcleaning relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes arranging services, confirming appointments, carrying out the work, and managing payments.

Legal Obligation

We process certain data to comply with legal requirements, such as accounting, tax, fraud prevention, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include managing customer relationships, improving services, maintaining internal records, and protecting our business from misuse. When relying on legitimate interests, we consider whether the processing is necessary and whether it is proportionate and fair.

Consent

In some limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where specific optional communications or non-essential activities require it. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect processing that has already taken place lawfully.

4. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason for holding it.

Customer and service records are generally retained for as long as needed to manage the customer relationship and to handle any follow-up queries or disputes.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Communication records may be retained for a reasonable period to help resolve issues and maintain service quality.
Marketing preferences, where applicable, are retained until you update your choices or withdraw consent.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices. We aim to keep retention periods limited and proportionate to the business and legal need.

5. Processors and Third Parties

We may share personal data with carefully selected third parties that help us run our business. These organisations act as data processors or independent controllers depending on the circumstances. We only share the minimum information necessary and require appropriate protections.

Payment processors that handle secure transaction processing.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that support invoicing, tax preparation, and financial reporting.
IT and cloud service providers that store or maintain our business systems.
Customer communication tools that assist with scheduling, messaging, or record management.
Professional advisers, such as legal or accounting advisers, where required.
Public authorities where we are legally required to disclose information.

Where processors are used, they are required to process data only on our instructions, keep it secure, and comply with applicable data protection law. We do not sell personal data.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, limited staff access, and regular review of our processes. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection that is appropriate to the nature of the data we handle.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply in different situations and can be subject to legal limitations. Your rights include:

Right of access – you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure – in some circumstances, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit the way we use your data in certain cases.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – where applicable, you can request that we provide your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with legal requirements. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request. You also have the right to raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have not been respected.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is required in the context of a service request and provided by an adult customer. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without an appropriate lawful basis, we will take steps to delete it where required.

9. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it. Such safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual protections, or other lawful transfer mechanisms. We will only transfer data where necessary and where suitable protection is available.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or service arrangements. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is handled.

11. Contact and Complaints

This policy is designed to give clear information about how Battersea Carpetcleaning handles personal data. If you are concerned about the way your information is being used, you have the right to raise a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority. We also encourage customers to contact us first so that we can address any concerns promptly and fairly.

In summary, Battersea Carpetcleaning processes personal data responsibly, only where there is a lawful basis, and with respect for customer privacy, security, and legal rights.