Privacy Policy - Hither Green Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Hither Green Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our carpet cleaning services. It applies to all Hither Green Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including individuals who request quotations, book appointments, receive services, or otherwise interact with us. We are committed to handling personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Hither Green Carpet Cleaners provides residential and commercial carpet cleaning and related cleaning services. In the course of operating our services, we act as a data controller for personal data we determine the purposes and means of processing. This means we are responsible for deciding how and why your personal information is used.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of information:

Identity details such as your name.
Contact details such as address, telephone number, and email address.
Service details including property type, cleaning requirements, preferred dates, access notes, and service history.
Payment-related information where needed to process transactions, invoices, and account records. We do not knowingly store full payment card data unless a secure payment service requires limited details for processing.
Communication records including messages, complaints, feedback, and service-related correspondence.
Technical information such as basic website or device data if you contact us through digital channels, for example IP address or browser information, where applicable.

We generally do not seek to collect special category personal data unless it is necessary and you choose to provide it to us. If you provide such data, for example because it is relevant to access arrangements or health-related considerations, we will only use it where we have an appropriate lawful basis and where necessary safeguards are in place.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and assess service requirements.
To schedule, deliver, and manage cleaning services.
To communicate with you about appointments, changes, and service updates.
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records.
To handle complaints, queries, and customer support matters.
To improve our services, training, planning, and internal administration.
To meet legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
To defend or establish legal claims where necessary.

We only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose. If we need to use it for an unrelated purpose, we will explain the legal basis for doing so where required.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We rely on one or more of the following lawful bases under the UK GDPR:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, delivering carpet cleaning services, and managing related administration.

Legal Obligation

We process personal data where necessary to comply with legal requirements, such as tax, accounting, record-keeping, or regulatory 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 service improvement, internal reporting, fraud prevention, customer record management, and responding to enquiries. When relying on legitimate interests, we consider the nature of the processing and the impact on your privacy.

Consent

Where consent is the appropriate lawful basis, we will obtain it before processing and you may withdraw it at any time. If consent is withdrawn, this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Vital Interests and Public Interest

These bases are unlikely to apply in most service situations, but they may be used in exceptional circumstances if necessary to protect someone’s vital interests or where required by law.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. However, we may share it with trusted third parties who assist us in operating our business. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers.

Payment processors that handle secure payment transactions.
Booking and scheduling systems that help manage appointments.
IT and cloud service providers that store or support our records and communication tools.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers.
Authorities or regulators where disclosure is required by law.

Where we use processors, we require them to handle data securely, process it only on our instructions, and comply with data protection obligations. We ensure appropriate contractual safeguards are in place. If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will use suitable legal mechanisms to protect it.

6. Data Retention

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

Customer service and booking records are generally kept for as long as needed to manage the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law.
Complaint and correspondence records may be retained for a period needed to resolve issues and manage disputes.
Technical or security logs are retained only as long as necessary for security, troubleshooting, or operational purposes.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include restricted access, secure storage, password protection, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data handling procedures. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to reduce risks to an acceptable level.

8. Your Rights Under Data Protection Law

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to conditions and exemptions under the law.

Right of access – you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – in some circumstances, you may ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction – you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability – you may request certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you can 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 breached. We would, however, appreciate the chance to address your concerns first.

9. 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 connection with a household service request made by an adult customer. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without a lawful basis, we will take appropriate steps to remove it.

10. Automated Decision-Making

We do not normally use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects for customers. If that changes, we will provide clear information about the process and your rights.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or how we process personal data. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their information is handled.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Hither Green Carpet Cleaners is committed to respecting privacy, minimising data collection, and using personal information only when necessary and lawful. We aim to process data fairly, retain it for no longer than needed, and protect it with suitable security measures. By using our services, you acknowledge that this policy applies to all Hither Green Carpet Cleaners customers in the area and explains how we manage personal data in connection with those services.

We value your trust and will continue to handle your personal information with care, transparency, and respect.