Privacy Policy for Carpet Cleaners KT2

This Privacy Policy explains how Carpet Cleaners KT2 collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our carpet cleaning services. It applies to all Carpet Cleaners KT2 customers in the area, including prospective, current, and former customers, as well as anyone who contacts us on behalf of a customer. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Carpet Cleaners KT2 provides professional carpet cleaning services to households and businesses in the KT2 area. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller when we determine the purposes and means of processing personal data. This means we are responsible for making sure your information is handled properly and in line with the law.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect information that is necessary to provide our services, manage our customer relationships, and meet legal and operational requirements. The types of data we may collect include:

• Identity data: name, title, and any business or household contact details you provide.
• Contact data: address, email address, telephone number, and service location.
• Service data: details about the carpet cleaning services requested, booking preferences, property access information, cleaning requirements, and service history.
• Payment data: billing details, transaction records, and payment status. We do not keep unnecessary payment card information where payment is processed securely by a third party.
• Communication data: messages, emails, notes of calls, complaints, feedback, and records of requests.
• Technical data: limited data such as IP address, device type, and browsing information if you interact with our digital systems.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it or it arises incidentally in communications. If such data is ever processed, it will be handled with extra care and only where a lawful condition is met.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• to provide quotes, arrange appointments, and deliver carpet cleaning services;
• to manage customer accounts and service records;
• to process payments and issue invoices or receipts;
• to respond to enquiries, feedback, complaints, and service issues;
• to maintain service quality, training, and internal record-keeping;
• to comply with legal obligations such as accounting and tax requirements;
• to protect our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We only use your data for purposes that are compatible with the reason it was collected. Where we need to use personal data for a new purpose, we will make sure there is a valid legal basis and, where appropriate, notify you.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must identify a lawful basis for each processing activity. Carpet Cleaners KT2 relies on the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, or to perform a contract with you. This includes booking services, providing cleaning work, issuing invoices, and managing service delivery.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where we must comply with legal requirements, such as keeping financial records, responding to lawful requests, or meeting regulatory obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data when it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and when those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing bookings, improving services, handling complaints, preventing fraud, and maintaining internal records. We consider the impact on your privacy before relying on this basis.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example if we send certain marketing communications or process information that requires explicit permission. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect any processing already carried out before withdrawal.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties only when necessary and only to the extent required to operate our business and provide services. These third parties may act as processors or independent controllers depending on the context.

Examples of processors may include:

• payment service providers who handle secure transactions;
• accounting and bookkeeping providers;
• IT and cloud storage providers;
• customer management or scheduling software providers;
• professional advisers who support legal, tax, or business compliance;
• subcontractors or cleaning operatives who need limited customer details to carry out a service.

We require processors to act only on our instructions, to keep data secure, and to use appropriate technical and organisational safeguards. We do not sell your personal data. If we ever need to share information with another controller, such as a government authority or insurer, we will do so only where legally permitted or required.

6. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protections recognised under UK GDPR. We will only transfer data where the destination provides an adequate level of protection.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason we hold it.

• Customer service records: kept for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period after completion of services.
• Financial and tax records: retained for the period required by law, typically several years.
• Complaints and correspondence: retained long enough to resolve the issue and support future business or legal needs.
• Marketing preferences: retained until you withdraw consent or object, where applicable.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it or anonymise it securely. We do not keep information indefinitely unless there is a legitimate reason or legal obligation to do so.

8. Data Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously. Appropriate measures are used to protect information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or misuse. These measures may include restricted access, secure storage, password protection, staff awareness, and controlled sharing with processors. While no system can be guaranteed as completely secure, we aim to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the risk.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limits and exemptions, but we will always consider your request carefully. Your rights include:

• Right of access: you can ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure: you can ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restriction: you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
• Right to data portability: you can ask for certain information in a structured, commonly used format.
• Right to object: you can 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 wish to exercise any of these rights, we will review your request in line with applicable data protection law. We may ask for information to confirm your identity before responding. If we are unable to comply fully with your request, we will explain the reasons where permitted.

10. Complaints and Supervisory Authority

If you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data, you have the right to raise a concern with the relevant data protection authority. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue promptly and fairly. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) or another competent authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

11. 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 protection practices. Any updates will take effect when published. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically so you remain informed about how we handle personal data.

12. Summary of Our Approach

Carpet Cleaners KT2 handles personal data carefully, only for clear and legitimate purposes, and only for as long as necessary. We aim to be transparent about what we collect, why we collect it, who may process it, and what rights you have. We are committed to protecting the privacy of all Carpet Cleaners KT2 customers in the area and to maintaining trustworthy data handling practices at every stage of our service.