Richmond Upon Thames Carpet Cleaning Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Richmond Upon Thames Carpet Cleaning collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to customers and prospective customers in the Richmond upon Thames area. It is designed to comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Richmond Upon Thames Carpet Cleaning customers and individuals who enquire about or use our carpet cleaning and related services within the Richmond upon Thames area, whether the interaction takes place in person, by phone, online or through any other means.

Data Controller

Richmond Upon Thames Carpet Cleaning is the data controller for the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data in connection with our services.

Types of Personal Data We Collect

We collect and process different categories of personal data depending on how you interact with us. This may include:

Identification and contact data: name, address, service address, billing address, and any other contact details you provide to us.

Communication data: information contained in enquiries, quotations, booking confirmations, complaints, feedback, and any other correspondence between you and us.

Service and transaction data: details of the services you requested or purchased, appointment dates and times, access instructions, and any relevant notes about specific cleaning requirements at the property.

Payment-related data: limited payment information required to complete transactions, such as payment method and payment confirmations. Full card details are not stored by us if payment is taken via a secure payment processor.

Technical data: where you interact with us online, basic technical data may be collected such as IP address, device type, and general usage data necessary to operate and secure our website or online booking tools.

How We Collect Personal Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

Contact us to request information, a quotation or to make a booking.

Use our services at your home or business premises.

Communicate with us by telephone, text message, online form or other communication channels.

Provide feedback, leave a review, or respond to a survey about our services.

We may also receive personal data about you from third parties where it is lawful and necessary, for example from referral partners or online platforms through which you make a service booking.

Purposes and Lawful Bases for Processing

We only process your personal data where we have a lawful basis under data protection law. The main purposes and corresponding lawful bases are:

To provide quotations, manage bookings and deliver our services: we process your identification, contact and service data to respond to your enquiries, issue quotations and perform our contract with you. The lawful basis is performance of a contract or taking steps at your request before entering into a contract.

To manage payments and accounts: we process payment-related and transaction data to take payment, issue invoices and maintain financial records. The lawful basis is performance of a contract and our legitimate interests in running our business, as well as legal obligations related to accounting and taxation.

To communicate with you: we use your contact and communication data to respond to your questions, send booking confirmations and reminders, and communicate about the services you have requested. The lawful basis is performance of a contract and our legitimate interests in providing an efficient service.

To improve and develop our services: we may process communication, service and technical data to analyse trends, improve our processes, and enhance customer experience. The lawful basis is our legitimate interests in managing and developing our business, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights.

To send marketing communications: we may use your contact data to inform you about similar services or special offers, where permitted. The lawful basis is our legitimate interests in promoting our services or your consent, depending on the circumstances. You can opt out of marketing at any time.

To comply with legal obligations and resolve disputes: we may process any relevant personal data as necessary to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, respond to lawful requests from authorities, or establish, exercise or defend legal claims. The lawful bases are legal obligation and our legitimate interests in protecting our rights.

Data Retention

We only retain personal data for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Privacy Policy and to meet legal, accounting and reporting requirements.

In general:

Customer, service and transaction records are kept for the duration of our relationship with you and for a reasonable period afterwards, typically up to six years, to comply with legal obligations and to manage any potential disputes.

Enquiry records for individuals who do not proceed to use our services may be retained for a shorter period, normally up to two years, unless a longer period is required for legal reasons or you have consented to further contact.

Technical data associated with online interactions may be kept for security, troubleshooting and analytics purposes for periods that are appropriate to those uses and in accordance with applicable law.

When personal data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or anonymised.

Data Sharing and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy and where appropriate safeguards are in place.

These third parties may act as data processors on our behalf and may include:

Payment service providers that process payments securely.

IT, hosting and website service providers that support our systems.

Customer management or booking software providers.

Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers where necessary for our business and compliance obligations.

We require all processors to respect the security of your personal data and to process it only in accordance with our written instructions and applicable data protection law.

We may also share personal data with other third parties where we are required or permitted to do so by law, such as with law enforcement authorities or regulators.

International Transfers

Where any of our service providers or their servers are located outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place before any personal data is transferred. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations made by the UK government or approved standard contractual clauses.

Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction or damage. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, encryption in transit where appropriate, staff awareness and regular review of our data handling practices.

While we take reasonable steps to safeguard your data, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You should also take care to protect any information you provide to us, particularly when communicating online.

Your Data Protection Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data, subject to certain conditions and exemptions. These include:

Right of access: you can request confirmation that we process your personal data and obtain a copy of that data.

Right to rectification: you can ask us to correct or complete inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

Right to erasure: in certain circumstances, you can request that we delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected and we have no other lawful basis to retain it.

Right to restriction of processing: you can ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in specific situations, such as while we are considering a request to rectify or erase your data.

Right to data portability: where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you may be able to request that we provide your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, or transmit it to another controller.

Right to object: you can object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including profiling, and to direct marketing at any time. We will stop such processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests, rights and freedoms, or where processing is required for legal claims.

Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

Applicability to Customers in Richmond upon Thames

This Privacy Policy applies to all Richmond Upon Thames Carpet Cleaning customers and individuals using or enquiring about our services within the Richmond upon Thames area. By engaging with us, you acknowledge that you have been provided with this information about how we handle your personal data.

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 significant changes will be communicated by updating the version published and, where appropriate, by additional notice. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.