Privacy Policy - Hornchurch Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Hornchurch Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Hornchurch Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including anyone who requests a quotation, books a cleaning service, communicates with us, or receives our services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Hornchurch Carpet Cleaners provides carpet cleaning and related cleaning services for residential and commercial customers. In this policy, references to “we,” “us,” and “our” mean Hornchurch Carpet Cleaners acting as a data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information that is necessary to manage enquiries, provide services, and meet legal or operational requirements. The categories of data we may collect include:

• Identity data such as your name, title, and any business name you provide.
• Contact data such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
• Service data such as property details, cleaning requirements, appointment notes, and service history.
• Payment data such as payment confirmation, billing records, and transaction details. We do not store full card details where a third-party payment provider is used.
• Communication data such as messages, call notes, complaint details, and feedback.
• Technical data where relevant, such as basic website or device information used to improve security and functionality.

We do not intentionally collect special category personal data unless you choose to share it with us and it is strictly necessary for a service request or complaint handling. Where such data is provided, we will only process it when a lawful basis applies and with appropriate safeguards.

3. How We Collect Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

• request a quote or make an enquiry;
• book or amend a cleaning appointment;
• provide instructions at your property or by phone, email, or message;
• pay for services or request an invoice;
• submit feedback, a complaint, or a general request.

We may also receive data from third parties where this is necessary for our services, such as payment processors, referral partners, or subcontractors acting on our behalf. If someone provides your details to us, they should have permission to do so or a lawful basis for sharing them.

4. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
• to arrange and deliver cleaning services;
• to manage payments, invoices, and accounts;
• to communicate about bookings, changes, or service issues;
• to maintain records of services provided;
• to handle complaints, disputes, and follow-up requests;
• to meet legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
• to improve our services, customer experience, and operational efficiency;
• to protect against fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We will only process your information where we have a valid legal reason to do so and will not use it in ways that are incompatible with the original purpose for which it was collected.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Hornchurch Carpet Cleaners relies on the following lawful bases where appropriate:

Contract

Contract is the main basis we rely on when processing is necessary to provide a quotation, make a booking, carry out cleaning services, take payment, or manage related customer requests. Without this information, we may not be able to deliver the service.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data to comply with legal obligations, such as maintaining financial records, handling tax requirements, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include record keeping, service improvement, fraud prevention, customer support, and internal business administration. We always consider whether the processing is necessary and proportionate.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on consent, for example where you ask to receive certain marketing communications or agree to optional processing not required for service delivery. You can withdraw consent at any time, and this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

6. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share it only when necessary and with appropriate safeguards. This may include sharing with:

• service processors that help us operate our business, such as bookkeeping providers, payment processors, scheduling systems, IT support services, and secure data storage providers;
• subcontractors or cleaners assisting with service delivery, where relevant to your booking;
• professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers;
• regulatory, law enforcement, or public authorities where required by law.

Any third party that processes personal data on our behalf acts as a processor and is required to handle that data only according to our instructions and in compliance with data protection law. We seek to ensure that processors apply suitable technical and organisational measures to protect your information.

7. International Transfers

If any of our processors store or process data outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place before transfer takes place. These safeguards may include an adequacy regulation, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms permitted under UK GDPR.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and reporting obligations. The length of time will depend on the type of data and the reason we hold it. Typical retention periods may include:

• enquiry and quotation records: retained for a reasonable period to manage follow-up and service history;
• customer service and booking records: retained for the duration needed to provide services and resolve related issues;
• financial and tax records: retained for the period required by law;
• complaints and dispute records: retained for as long as needed to resolve the matter and defend legal claims;
• consent-based marketing records: retained until you withdraw consent or the information is no longer needed.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in a way that prevents unnecessary use.

9. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality practices, and limited data sharing. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take data protection seriously and review our safeguards where appropriate.

10. Your Rights

Depending on the circumstances, you have a number of rights under data protection law. These may include:

• the right to be informed about how your data is used;
• the right of access to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
• the right to rectification if your data is inaccurate or incomplete;
• the right to erasure in certain situations, sometimes called the right to be forgotten;
• the right to restrict processing in certain circumstances;
• the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
• the right to data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means;
• rights related to automated decision-making, where applicable.

You also have the right to withdraw consent where consent is the basis for processing. If you exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding.

11. Complaints and Concerns

If you are unhappy with how your personal data has been handled, you can raise your concern with us so that we can review the matter. You also have the right to complain to 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 issue promptly and fairly.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect legal, operational, or service changes. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your data.

13. Scope of This Policy

This policy applies to all Hornchurch Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, as well as prospective customers, service recipients, and anyone whose personal data we process in connection with our cleaning services. By using our services or providing your details to us, you acknowledge that your personal data will be handled in accordance with this policy and applicable data protection laws.