Privacy Policy - Carpet Cleaning Clapham

This Privacy Policy explains how Carpet Cleaning Clapham collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Carpet Cleaning Clapham customers in the area, including prospective customers, existing customers, and anyone who contacts us for carpet cleaning services. We are committed to handling personal information in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We aim to process personal data fairly, lawfully, transparently, and only for clear and legitimate purposes. This policy should help you understand what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, and what rights you have in relation to your data.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data when you use our carpet cleaning services or make an enquiry:

Identity details such as your name.
Contact details such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details including property access notes, cleaning preferences, service history, and appointment information.
Billing and payment information where needed to process transactions or issue invoices.
Communication records including messages, correspondence, complaints, and feedback.
Technical information if you interact with our digital systems, such as basic device or usage data.

We usually collect this information directly from you when you request a quote, confirm a booking, communicate with us, or receive a service. In some cases, we may receive data from third parties where you have authorised them to act on your behalf, such as letting agents, landlords, or property managers.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only where necessary to operate our services and manage customer relationships. Typical uses include:

Providing carpet cleaning services and managing bookings.
Responding to enquiries and customer requests.
Preparing quotes, invoices, and receipts.
Managing scheduling, access arrangements, and service delivery.
Maintaining business records and service quality.
Handling complaints, disputes, or insurance-related matters.
Sending administrative updates about booked services.

We do not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was originally collected. If we need to use data for a new purpose, we will only do so where the law allows it.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Contract

We process your data where it is necessary to perform a contract with you or take steps at your request before entering into a contract. This includes managing bookings, carrying out carpet cleaning services, and processing payments.

Legal obligation

We may process personal data where required to comply with laws and regulations, including tax, accounting, and record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include improving service operations, maintaining records, preventing fraud, and handling customer communications.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where we need permission to carry out certain optional communications. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

We do not process personal data without a lawful basis, and we do not collect more data than is reasonably necessary for the services we provide.

4. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy. Retention periods depend on the type of data, the reason it was collected, and any legal or accounting requirements.

Customer service and booking records are retained for the period needed to manage the relationship and resolve any service issues.
Financial and invoicing records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Communication records may be retained for a reasonable period to manage follow-up queries, complaints, or evidence of service.
Other personal data is securely deleted or anonymised once it is no longer needed.

When data is no longer required, we take appropriate steps to erase, anonymise, or securely dispose of it. Retention decisions are based on necessity rather than convenience, and we regularly review records to avoid keeping data longer than needed.

5. Processors and Data Sharing

We may share personal data with trusted third-party service providers who act as processors on our behalf. These processors only handle data according to our instructions and are required to protect it appropriately.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment service providers for processing card or online payments.
Booking and administration systems used to manage appointments and customer records.
IT and cloud service providers that support secure storage, communication, or business operations.
Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers where needed for compliance and business administration.

We may also disclose data where necessary to comply with the law, protect our rights, or respond to lawful requests from public authorities. We do not sell your personal data.

All processors are chosen carefully and are expected to follow appropriate technical and organisational safeguards. Where required, we use contracts containing data protection obligations to ensure your information is handled securely and only for permitted purposes.

6. Data Security

We take data protection seriously and use reasonable security measures to prevent unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure of personal information. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, limited permissions, and staff awareness procedures.

While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to keep personal data protected and to reduce risks wherever possible. If a data breach occurs and it is likely to affect your rights and freedoms, we will handle it in accordance with our legal obligations.

7. Your Rights

As a data subject under the UK GDPR, you have rights over your personal data. These rights may apply in different situations and may be subject to legal exceptions or limits.

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 – in certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit the way we use your data in some situations.
Right to data portability – where applicable, you can request your data 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 relies 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 has been handled unlawfully. We encourage you to raise concerns first so we can review and address them promptly.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging carpet cleaning for homes or businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children for marketing or service management purposes. If we become aware that we have unintentionally collected such data, we will take steps to delete it where appropriate.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, services, or internal practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically to stay informed about how their information is protected.

10. Summary of Our Commitment

We are committed to processing personal data responsibly and respectfully. Our approach is based on lawful processing, limited retention, secure handling, and transparency. If you are a customer of Carpet Cleaning Clapham, you can expect your data to be used only for legitimate service-related purposes and managed with appropriate care.

Privacy matters, and we treat it as an essential part of delivering a professional carpet cleaning service.