Privacy Policy - Tooting Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Tooting Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with the services we provide. It applies to all Tooting Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including individuals who enquire about our services, receive quotations, make bookings, or otherwise engage with us for carpet cleaning and related domestic or commercial cleaning 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. This policy is intended to help customers understand what information is collected, why it is collected, how long it is kept, and what rights individuals have over their data.

1. Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to provide our services, manage customer relationships, and meet legal and operational requirements. The exact information collected may vary depending on how a customer interacts with us.

Information you provide directly

Identity details such as your name.
Contact details including address, telephone number, and email address.
Service information such as property access details, preferred appointment times, cleaning requirements, and instructions relating to the job.
Payment-related information where needed to process invoices, refunds, or transaction records.
Communications you send to us, including complaints, enquiries, feedback, and booking requests.

Information collected automatically

We may also collect limited technical information when you interact with us through digital channels or systems used to manage our operations. This may include:

Device and usage data such as the time and date of communication.
Service records relating to appointments, quotes, and completed jobs.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is provided by you and is necessary for a specific service-related reason, such as access arrangements or health-related instructions that affect service delivery. Where such information is provided, it is treated with additional care and only processed when lawful and necessary.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide carpet cleaning and related services.
To prepare quotations, confirm appointments, and manage bookings.
To communicate with customers about services, schedules, and service changes.
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain business records.
To handle complaints, disputes, and customer support requests.
To maintain security, prevent fraud, and protect our business and customers.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.

We will only use personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose and the law allows us to do so.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

Performance of a contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to provide a service requested by a customer, such as arranging a carpet cleaning appointment, fulfilling the booking, or managing payment and invoicing.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by the rights and freedoms of the individual. This may include maintaining service records, improving service quality, responding to enquiries, and protecting against misuse or fraud. We always consider whether the processing is proportionate and limited to what is necessary.

Legal obligation

In some cases, we are required to process and retain information to comply with legal obligations, such as accounting, tax, insurance, and record-keeping duties.

Consent

Where required by law, we rely on consent. If we ask for consent, it will be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous. You may withdraw consent at any time where consent is the basis for processing.

4. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business and deliver services. These third parties act as data processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We only share the minimum data necessary and require appropriate safeguards to protect it.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment processors that facilitate secure transactions.
IT and software providers that support booking, record-keeping, or communication systems.
Cloud storage providers used to securely store business records.
Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers where necessary for compliance.

These processors are only permitted to process personal data on our instructions and for agreed purposes. They are expected to implement suitable technical and organisational security measures.

We may also disclose personal data if required to do so by law, court order, regulatory authority, or to protect our rights, property, staff, or customers.

5. Retention of Personal Data

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

Typical retention approach

Customer and booking records are kept for as long as needed to manage the service relationship and after that for a reasonable period to handle follow-up queries or disputes.
Financial and invoicing records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Correspondence and complaint records may be retained for an appropriate period to evidence service handling and legal compliance.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete it, anonymise it, or take other appropriate steps to ensure it is no longer identifiable.

6. Data Security

We take data security seriously and apply measures designed to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure. These measures may include access restrictions, secure storage, password protection, and staff awareness of confidentiality obligations.

However, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We therefore encourage customers to share only the information necessary for service delivery and to contact us promptly if they believe their data has been compromised.

7. Your Rights

Individuals have a number of rights under data protection law. These rights may not apply in every situation, but we will always consider requests carefully and respond in line with legal requirements.

Your rights include:

Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of personal data where there is no lawful reason for us to keep it.
Right to restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to data portability – to request transfer of certain data to you or another provider 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, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you exercise a right, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the timeframe required by law.

8. International Transfers

Where personal data is processed outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place so that the data continues to be protected in accordance with applicable data protection law. This may include the use of approved contractual protections or transfers to countries recognised as providing adequate protection.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically to stay informed about how their information is handled.

10. How This Policy Applies

This Privacy Policy applies to all personal data processed by Tooting Carpet Cleaners in relation to customers located in the area, as well as prospective customers and individuals who interact with us for service-related purposes. By engaging our services, customers acknowledge that their information will be handled in accordance with this policy and applicable data protection law.

We are committed to protecting privacy, using data responsibly, and maintaining trust in every interaction. If a customer has a concern about how their data is used, they are entitled to raise it under their legal rights and have it reviewed fairly and promptly.