Privacy Policy

Hatch End Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information relating to all Hatch End Carpet Cleaners customers in the area. It also explains your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to all customers, prospective customers, and other individuals whose personal data we process in connection with our carpet cleaning services in Hatch End and the surrounding area. By using our services, requesting a quote, making an enquiry, or otherwise interacting with us, you acknowledge that your personal information will be processed as described in this policy.

2. Personal data we collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide our services, manage our relationship with you, and meet our legal obligations. The personal data we may collect includes:

• Identity data such as your name and any business or household name you provide.
• Contact data such as address details, email address, and telephone number.
• Service data such as details of the cleaning service requested, property access information, special instructions, and service preferences.
• Billing and transaction data such as payment status, invoices, and records of services purchased.
• Communication data such as messages, feedback, complaints, and records of your interactions with us.
• Technical data where relevant, such as basic information sent by your device or browser if you communicate with us digitally.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you voluntarily provide it and it is necessary for a specific service or for safety reasons. If you choose to share sensitive information, we will treat it with extra care and only use it where there is a lawful basis to do so.

3. How we collect your data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

• Request a quotation or make an enquiry;
• Book or use our carpet cleaning services;
• Communicate with us by phone, email, or other methods;
• Provide feedback or raise a complaint;
• Complete forms or otherwise supply information for service delivery.

We may also receive information from third parties where necessary to provide the service, such as payment processors, business partners, or referral sources, but only where this is permitted by law and appropriate safeguards are in place.

4. Why we use your personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• To provide carpet cleaning and related services;
• To manage bookings, scheduling, and service delivery;
• To communicate with you about appointments, changes, or service updates;
• To issue invoices, take payments, and maintain financial records;
• To respond to enquiries, complaints, and support requests;
• To keep records of our services and customer relationships;
• To improve our services and business operations;
• To comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
• To establish, exercise, or defend legal claims where necessary.

We only process your personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so.

5. Lawful basis for processing

Contract

We process your data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, delivering cleaning services, managing payments, and communicating service updates.

Legitimate interests

We may process your information where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided that those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include maintaining business records, improving service quality, handling customer enquiries, preventing fraud, and managing disputes. We always consider whether our interests are balanced against your privacy rights.

Legal obligation

We may need to process and retain certain data to comply with legal obligations, including tax law, accounting requirements, consumer law, and record-keeping duties.

Consent

Where required, we will ask for your consent before processing your personal data. For example, this may apply to certain marketing communications or optional uses of data. When we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

6. Data sharing and processors

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

• Payment service providers that handle secure transaction processing;
• Accounting or bookkeeping providers that assist with invoicing and tax records;
• IT and cloud service providers that store or support our systems;
• Administrative service providers that help manage bookings or communications;
• Professional advisers such as legal or financial advisers where needed.

We require processors to protect your data, use it only for agreed purposes, and apply appropriate technical and organisational security measures. We do not sell your personal data. Where we share data with independent third parties who are not processors, we will do so only where lawful and necessary, and we will limit the information shared to what is required.

7. International transfers

If any of our service providers store or process data outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal data. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms recognised under data protection law.

8. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason we hold it.

• Customer service and booking records may be kept for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
• Financial and transaction records may be retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
• Complaint or dispute records may be retained for as long as needed to resolve the matter and protect legal rights.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention practices. We review data regularly to avoid keeping it longer than necessary.

9. How we protect your data

We take reasonable and appropriate measures to safeguard personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and careful selection of processors. Although no system can be guaranteed 100% secure, we are committed to protecting your information and responding promptly to any suspected data incident.

10. Your rights under GDPR

You have rights in relation to your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

• The right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• The right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• The right to erasure – to request deletion of your data where there is no lawful reason for us to keep it.
• The right to restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
• The right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• The right to data portability – to receive certain information in a structured, commonly used format 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 infringed. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any concern promptly and fairly.

11. Children’s data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary in the context of a service request made by an adult customer or where otherwise lawful. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without appropriate legal basis, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data handling practices. Any updates will take effect when published in the revised version. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we use your personal data.

13. Summary of our approach

Hatch End Carpet Cleaners processes personal data only where necessary, uses it for clear and lawful purposes, and retains it for no longer than needed. We are committed to respecting privacy rights and maintaining trust with all customers in the area we serve. This policy is designed to ensure that our use of personal information is transparent, lawful, and responsible.