Privacy Policy - Carpet Cleaners NW5

This Privacy Policy explains how Carpet Cleaners NW5 collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Carpet Cleaners NW5 customers in the NW5 area, including individuals who request cleaning services, receive quotations, make bookings, or communicate with us in connection with our services. 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.

1. Who We Are

Carpet Cleaners NW5 provides carpet cleaning and related property cleaning services. In the course of delivering our services, we may process personal data about customers, property occupants, and other individuals involved in a service request. This policy applies to data collected through enquiries, bookings, service delivery, billing, complaints, and routine business administration.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to manage our services and operate our business responsibly. Depending on your interaction with us, we may collect the following categories of information:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details including address, phone number, and email address.
Service details such as booking preferences, property access notes, cleaning requirements, and special instructions.
Payment information where needed to process invoices or payments.
Communication records including emails, messages, and notes about calls or service queries.
Complaint and feedback records when you raise a concern or leave a review related to our services.
Technical information if you contact us through digital channels, such as basic device or usage data collected for security and service improvement.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is relevant and strictly necessary for service delivery and you have chosen to provide it. For example, a customer may tell us about a medical condition or access need that affects how we arrange a visit. In such cases, we will handle the information with extra care and only where there is a lawful reason to do so.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to provide effective and reliable services. Typical uses include:

responding to enquiries and providing quotations;
managing bookings and service appointments;
delivering cleaning services and meeting customer instructions;
processing payments, invoices, and refunds where applicable;
handling customer support, complaints, and follow-up requests;
maintaining business records and internal administration;
meeting legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
protecting the security of our systems, staff, and customers;
improving our services and customer experience.

We do not sell personal data. We also do not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the original reason it was collected, unless a lawful basis exists and the change is permitted by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. We rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, or to perform our obligations under a contract. This includes arranging services, managing bookings, and completing work you have requested.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing customer relationships, preventing fraud, improving services, maintaining records, and ensuring the security of our operations. We always consider whether the processing is proportionate and respectful of your privacy.

Legal Obligation

We process personal data where required to comply with the law. This may include accounting, tax, record-keeping, and compliance with lawful requests from authorities.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on consent, especially where the law requires it. Where consent is used, it will be specific, informed, and freely given. You may withdraw consent at any time, and we will stop the relevant processing unless another lawful basis applies.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who assist us in operating our business. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the nature of the service. We only share data when necessary and we require appropriate safeguards.

Examples of processors may include:

payment service providers who process card or electronic payments;
accounting and bookkeeping services that help manage financial records;
IT and cloud service providers that store or protect business data;
booking or scheduling tools used to organise appointments;
professional advisers such as legal, insurance, or tax specialists where necessary.

We may also disclose data where required by law, court order, or a lawful request from a public authority. If our business operations are restructured, transferred, or sold, customer data may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to legal safeguards.

All processors are selected carefully and are expected to handle data securely, confidentially, and only on our instructions where applicable.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or for as long as required by law. Retention periods depend on the type of record and the reason it is held.

Customer booking and service records are retained for a period that allows us to manage queries, disputes, and repeat services.
Financial records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Complaint and correspondence records may be retained for a reasonable period to demonstrate how issues were resolved.
Consent records are retained while consent is valid and for a short period afterwards to show compliance.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you. We regularly review the data we hold to make sure we are not keeping information for longer than necessary.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include restricted access controls, secure storage, confidentiality expectations for staff and contractors, and procedures for handling and disposing of records securely.

While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we continuously work to reduce risk and to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the nature of the data we process.

8. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will only do so where appropriate safeguards are in place and the transfer is permitted under data protection law. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections.

9. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have several rights under data protection law. These rights may be subject to legal limits and exceptions, but we will always consider your request carefully.

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 certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restrict processing – you can request that we limit the way we use your data in some situations.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests, and in some cases to direct marketing.
Right to data portability – where applicable, you can ask for certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data. However, we encourage you to contact us first so that we can try to resolve any concern promptly and fairly.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a service request and is provided by an adult responsible for the booking. If we learn that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our practices, or the services we provide. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how your data is handled.

12. Summary of Our Commitments

Carpet Cleaners NW5 is committed to processing personal data fairly, securely, and only for legitimate purposes. We collect only what we need, rely on lawful bases under UK GDPR, retain information for appropriate periods, use trusted processors under proper safeguards, and respect your rights. This policy applies to all customers in the NW5 area and is designed to ensure that your personal data is handled with care, transparency, and accountability.