Privacy Policy - Carpet Cleaners Greenwich

This Privacy Policy explains how Carpet Cleaners Greenwich collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Carpet Cleaners Greenwich customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, former customers, and anyone who communicates with us in connection with our carpet cleaning services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

For the purposes of data protection law, Carpet Cleaners Greenwich acts as the data controller for the personal information described in this policy. This means we decide why and how your personal data is used in connection with our services.

2. What data we collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to provide our services, manage our customer relationships, and meet legal obligations. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity data such as your name and title.
Contact data such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service data such as property details, carpet or upholstery cleaning requirements, access information, appointment notes, and service preferences.
Payment data such as billing details and transaction records, where applicable.
Communication data such as messages, complaints, feedback, and correspondence related to our services.
Technical data may be collected if you interact with our digital systems, such as device information or basic usage records, where relevant.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it yourself, or unless we are required to do so by law. If such information is ever processed, it will be handled with additional safeguards and only where a lawful condition applies.

3. How we collect your data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you make an enquiry, request a quote, book a service, complete a form, communicate with us, or give feedback. We may also receive data from third parties involved in the provision of services, such as payment providers or subcontracted service processors. In some cases, we may obtain information from property managers, landlords, or other authorised representatives acting on your behalf.

4. Why we use your data

We use personal data only for legitimate service-related purposes. These may include:

Providing cleaning services and managing bookings.
Preparing quotes, invoices, and service records.
Communicating with you before, during, and after service delivery.
Responding to questions, complaints, or requests.
Managing customer accounts and service history.
Improving service quality, safety, and customer experience.
Meeting legal, accounting, and insurance obligations.
Preventing fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We will always ensure that any use of personal data is proportionate and limited to what is necessary for the relevant purpose.

5. Lawful basis for processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each processing activity. We may rely on the following:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. For example, we need your name, address, and service details to arrange and deliver carpet cleaning services.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include customer administration, service improvement, internal record-keeping, and handling minor disputes or service follow-up.

Legal obligation

We may process data where necessary to comply with legal requirements, including tax, accounting, health and safety, or insurance obligations.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, particularly for optional communications or where the law requires permission. Where consent is used, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.

6. How we store and protect data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, loss, disclosure, or destruction. These measures are designed to be appropriate to the level of risk and may include restricted access, secure storage, password protection, and internal procedures for handling personal information.

Only authorised personnel and approved processors may access personal data when necessary for service delivery or administration. We also seek to minimise the amount of data stored and the length of time it is retained.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the data and the reason for processing. In general:

Customer and service records are retained for the period needed to manage the relationship and any reasonable follow-up.
Financial and transaction records may be retained for the duration required by tax and accounting law.
Complaints, claims, and dispute-related records may be kept for as long as necessary to manage the matter and defend legal rights.
Data that is no longer needed is securely deleted or anonymised.

When data is no longer required, we ensure it is disposed of securely and in a way that reduces the risk of unauthorised access.

8. Processors and sharing of data

We may share personal data with trusted third-party processors that help us operate our services. These processors only act on our instructions and are required to protect your data and use it only for the specific service they provide. Examples may include:

Payment service providers.
IT and data storage providers.
Booking, scheduling, or administration systems.
Professional advisers such as accountants or insurers.
Subcontractors involved in delivering cleaning services, where necessary.

We may also disclose data where required by law, regulation, court order, or a lawful request from a public authority. If business operations change, personal data may be transferred to a successor organisation under appropriate safeguards.

9. Your rights under GDPR

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal limits and applicable exemptions, these rights include:

The right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification – to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
The right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
The right to restriction – to ask us to limit processing in certain situations.
The right to data portability – to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
The right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
The 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 UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been breached. We encourage you to raise any concerns directly so we can address them promptly and fairly.

10. Marketing and communications

We will only send marketing communications where permitted by law. If you receive optional updates from us, you may opt out at any time. Service-related messages that are necessary for booking, performance, billing, or important notices are not marketing and may still be sent when required.

11. Children’s data

Our services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is provided incidentally and required for the delivery of a service to an adult household or property contact. If we become aware that we have collected data inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where appropriate.

12. International transfers

Where any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it in line with data protection law. Any such transfer will only take place where adequate protection can be ensured.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, operations, or data handling practices. Any revised version will continue to apply to all Carpet Cleaners Greenwich customers in the area from the date it takes effect.

14. Summary of our commitments

Carpet Cleaners Greenwich is committed to using personal data responsibly, transparently, and securely. We collect only what we need, use it for clearly defined purposes, keep it only for as long as necessary, and respect your rights under GDPR. If you are a customer in the Greenwich area, this policy applies to the data we process about you in connection with our services.

We value privacy, accountability, and lawful processing in every aspect of our work.