Privacy Policy - West Hampstead Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how West Hampstead Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data when providing carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all West Hampstead Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including private households, landlords, tenants, and business clients who request our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

West Hampstead Carpet Cleaners is the data controller for the personal data we process in connection with our carpet cleaning services. This means we decide how and why your personal data is used. We only collect information that is relevant and necessary for delivering our services, managing customer relationships, meeting legal obligations, and improving the quality of our work.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity information such as your name.
Contact details such as address, telephone number, and email address.
Service information including property access notes, booking preferences, cleaning requirements, and service history.
Payment information such as billing details and transaction records.
Communication records including enquiries, complaints, and correspondence.
Technical information if you interact with our digital systems, such as device data or basic usage information, where applicable.
Special instructions you provide in relation to stains, furnishings, allergies, pets, or access arrangements.

We do not intentionally collect more personal data than is needed. Where information is optional, we will make this clear at the point of collection.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes, schedule appointments, and deliver carpet cleaning services.
To communicate with you before, during, and after a booking.
To process payments and maintain accurate business records.
To manage complaints, feedback, and customer support requests.
To meet our legal, tax, and accounting responsibilities.
To maintain service quality, staff training, and operational records.
To protect our legitimate business interests, such as preventing fraud, enforcing agreements, and managing disputes.

We will only use your personal data for a purpose that is compatible with the reason it was collected, unless we have a lawful basis to use it for another purpose.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your data. Depending on the situation, West Hampstead Carpet Cleaners relies on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process your personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, carrying out cleaning services, and handling payment-related administration.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information where required by law, including for tax, accounting, insurance, or other regulatory purposes.

Legitimate Interests

We may use personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and where your rights do not override those interests. Examples include managing customer records, improving our services, responding to enquiries, and preventing misuse of our systems. We always consider the impact on your privacy before relying on this basis.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example if you agree to receive certain marketing communications. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us run our business. These organisations act as processors when they handle data on our behalf and under our instructions. Examples may include:

Payment service providers for processing transactions.
Accounting or bookkeeping providers for financial administration.
IT and software providers that support scheduling, storage, or communications.
Customer management or secure data storage providers.
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors when necessary.

We only work with processors that provide suitable guarantees regarding confidentiality, security, and compliance with data protection laws. Where required, we also ensure appropriate contractual protections are in place. We do not sell your personal data.

6. International Transfers

Where any processor stores or accesses data outside the United Kingdom, we will take appropriate safeguards to protect your personal information. This may include standard contractual clauses or other legally recognised transfer mechanisms. We aim to ensure that your data receives a level of protection that is consistent with UK data protection law.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason for processing. In general:

Booking and service records are kept for as long as needed to manage the customer relationship and any follow-up issues.
Invoice, payment, and accounting records are kept for the period required by tax and financial laws.
Communication records may be kept for a reasonable period to respond to queries, complaints, or disputes.
Data retained for legal claims or insurance purposes may be kept until the relevant limitation period has expired.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices. We do not retain information indefinitely without a valid purpose.

8. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, and limiting access to personal data to those who need it for legitimate business purposes. While no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, we work to reduce risks as far as reasonably possible.

9. Your Rights

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data under data protection law. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, these include:

Right of access - to ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification - to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure - to ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction - to request that we limit how your data is used in certain situations.
Right to data portability - to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object - to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based on consent.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with applicable data protection law. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

10. Marketing Communications

We will only send marketing communications where permitted by law. If you have given consent or where we are otherwise allowed to contact you, you may still choose to opt out at any time. Every effort will be made to respect your preferences promptly. If you opt out, you may still receive service-related messages necessary for bookings, invoices, or legal notices.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults who arrange carpet cleaning for homes or premises. We do not knowingly collect personal data directly from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child without appropriate authority, we will take steps to delete or otherwise protect that information in line with applicable law.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or operational needs. Any changes will take effect when the updated policy is published or otherwise communicated to you. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so you remain informed about how your data is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

At West Hampstead Carpet Cleaners, we are committed to treating your personal data with respect, keeping it secure, and using it only for legitimate and lawful purposes. We aim to be transparent about what we collect, why we collect it, who may process it, and how long we keep it. Your privacy matters to us, and we will continue to handle personal data responsibly for all customers in the West Hampstead area.