Privacy Policy - Carpet Cleaning Chiswick

Last updated: This Privacy Policy explains how Carpet Cleaning Chiswick collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data for all customers in the area. It applies to every customer, including enquiries, bookings, scheduled services, quotations, aftercare requests, and related communications.

1. Introduction

We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way. This policy is designed to help customers understand what data is collected, why it is collected, how long it is kept, and what rights individuals have under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Privacy is an important part of the service experience. Whether a customer requests a routine carpet clean, upholstery support, stain treatment, or a recurring maintenance visit, personal data is managed with care and only used where there is a valid legal reason to do so.

2. Data We Collect

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

Identity information: name, title, and any relevant customer reference details.
Contact information: address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information: details about the requested cleaning service, property access notes, preferred appointment times, and service history.
Communication records: messages, booking confirmations, complaints, feedback, and follow-up correspondence.
Payment-related data: transaction records and payment status. We do not intentionally store full card details unless handled securely by a payment provider.
Technical information: limited website or device data if a customer interacts with digital systems, including basic logs, if applicable.

We only collect data that is necessary for legitimate business purposes or legal compliance. We do not collect more information than is needed to provide services safely and effectively.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to schedule and deliver carpet cleaning services;
to confirm appointments and service instructions;
to manage billing, payments, and account administration;
to keep service records for quality control and dispute handling;
to improve service delivery and customer experience;
to meet legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
to prevent fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access to our systems.

We may also use data in an aggregated or anonymised form for internal reporting, provided it no longer identifies any person.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to provide a service requested by the customer, such as arranging a carpet cleaning appointment, confirming service details, or processing payment.

Legal Obligation

We may need to retain and use certain data to comply with legal requirements, including tax records, accounting rules, and business recordkeeping duties.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests do not override the rights and freedoms of the customer. This may include maintaining records, improving operations, handling customer enquiries, and protecting against fraud or misuse.

Consent

Where required by law, we will ask for consent before sending marketing communications or using personal data for a purpose that does not fall under another lawful basis. Customers may withdraw consent at any time.

We do not rely on consent where another lawful basis is more appropriate.

5. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless a longer period is required by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason it was collected.

Customer service records: kept for a reasonable period to manage repeat bookings, disputes, and service history.
Financial records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Communication records: kept long enough to resolve queries, complaints, or follow-up matters.
Legal claims or investigations: retained where needed to establish, exercise, or defend legal rights.

When data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in line with our internal retention procedures.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties known as processors, but only when necessary and only under appropriate contractual safeguards. These processors act on our instructions and are not permitted to use personal data for their own purposes.

Examples of processors may include:

payment service providers;
accounting and bookkeeping software providers;
IT support and data storage providers;
communication tools used to send booking confirmations or service updates;
professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers;
insurance providers where a claim or incident requires review.

We may also disclose information to public authorities, regulators, law enforcement, or courts where we are required to do so by law. We do not sell personal data.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, restricted permissions, and staff awareness practices.

Although we work hard to protect data, no system can be guaranteed completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs, we will assess the risk and take steps in line with our legal obligations.

8. User Rights

Customers have a number of rights in relation to their personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and any legal exceptions.

Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold.
Right to rectification: to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of data in certain situations.
Right to restriction: to request limited processing in specific cases.
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: to request transfer of data provided by the customer, where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, it may be withdrawn at any time.

Requests are handled in accordance with applicable data protection law. If a request affects our ability to provide a service, we will explain the outcome clearly and lawfully.

9. Marketing Communications

We only send marketing messages where lawful to do so. If marketing is based on consent, customers can opt out at any time. If messages are based on legitimate interests and permitted by law, customers still have the right to object.

Marketing choices are always respected. We will not use personal data for promotional purposes in a way that conflicts with a customer’s rights.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adult customers and property-related service contacts. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided incidentally in the context of a household booking and only where necessary for service delivery or safety.

11. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place so that the data remains protected to a standard consistent with UK GDPR requirements.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or service operations. The most recent version will apply to all Carpet Cleaning Chiswick customers in the area. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Carpet Cleaning Chiswick is committed to processing personal data responsibly, securely, and only when necessary. We collect the information needed to deliver services, operate efficiently, and meet legal obligations. We use appropriate lawful bases, limit retention, work only with trusted processors, and support customer rights under data protection law.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Carpet Cleaning Chiswick customers in area. We treat customer information with respect and aim to ensure that every stage of service is handled in a transparent and privacy-conscious manner.