Privacy Policy - Carpetcleaning Lambeth

This Privacy Policy explains how Carpetcleaning Lambeth collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with the services we provide. It applies to all Carpetcleaning Lambeth customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who has interacted with us about our carpet cleaning services.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is intended to help individuals understand what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who we may share it with, and what rights individuals have over their personal data.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for delivering our services, managing customer relationships, and meeting legal or contractual obligations. Depending on how you interact with us, the information we may collect includes:

• Identity details such as your name.
• Contact details such as address, telephone number, and email address.
• Service information such as details of the property, type of carpet cleaning required, preferred appointment times, and instructions relevant to the work.
• Payment information such as billing details and transaction records.
• Communication records such as messages, enquiries, complaints, feedback, and service notes.
• Technical data if you interact with our digital systems, such as basic device and usage information.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is voluntarily disclosed by you and is necessary for a specific service interaction. If such information is ever provided, we will handle it with extra care and only where a lawful basis allows us to do so.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only for clearly defined and legitimate purposes. These include:

• Providing carpet cleaning services and related customer support.
• Managing bookings, scheduling work, and confirming appointments.
• Preparing quotations, invoices, and records of services supplied.
• Communicating with customers regarding their service requests.
• Handling complaints, queries, and service-related disputes.
• Maintaining internal records, quality control, and business administration.
• Complying with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
• Improving our services, processes, and customer experience.

We will not use your data for purposes that are incompatible with the original reason it was collected unless we have a valid legal basis to do so.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. We rely on one or more of the following grounds:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. For example, this includes arranging a carpet cleaning appointment, delivering the service, and processing payments.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information because the law requires us to do so, such as for accounting records, tax compliance, and business record-keeping.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include customer administration, service improvement, fraud prevention, and maintaining secure business operations.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is required for a specific optional communication or processing activity. Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.

We always assess whether the processing is necessary and proportionate before using personal data under any lawful basis.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors or independent controllers, but only where necessary for the operation of our business or the delivery of services. Any sharing is limited to what is required and is governed by appropriate safeguards.

Processors may include:

• Payment service providers that help process transactions securely.
• IT and cloud storage providers that support data hosting and communication systems.
• Administrative or booking service providers that help manage customer appointments and records.
• Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers, where required.
• Public authorities or regulators where disclosure is required by law.

Where we use processors, they are contractually required to protect personal data, act only on our instructions, and maintain appropriate security measures. We do not allow processors to use your information for their own unrelated purposes.

We may also disclose data where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Carpetcleaning Lambeth, our customers, or others.

5. Data Retention

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

In general:

• Customer service and booking records are retained for as long as needed to manage the relationship and address follow-up matters.
• Financial and invoice records are retained for the period required by law and business accounting rules.
• Complaint and communication records may be kept for a reasonable period to resolve disputes and demonstrate service handling.
• Data collected for optional consent-based purposes is retained until consent is withdrawn or the purpose ends.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, destroy, or anonymise it. We take reasonable steps to ensure data is not retained longer than necessary.

6. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures are designed to reflect the nature of the data and the risks involved.

Examples of safeguards may include restricted access, secure systems, staff confidentiality obligations, and safe data handling procedures. While we work hard to protect information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We therefore review our practices regularly and update our safeguards where appropriate.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply in different circumstances and may be subject to legal exemptions.

• Right of access – you may request confirmation of whether we hold personal data about you and request a copy.
• Right to rectification – you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to erasure – in certain cases, you may ask us to delete your personal data.
• Right to restriction – you may request that we limit how we use your data in certain situations.
• Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• Right to data portability – where applicable, you may request a copy of certain data in a structured format.
• Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to contact us first so that we can try to resolve any issue promptly and fairly.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults and household customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for the performance of a service and provided by an adult customer or lawful guardian. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without appropriate authority, we will take steps to delete it where required.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

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

10. Contact and Further Information

This Privacy Policy is intended to provide clear and transparent information about our data practices. If you have questions about how your personal data is used, stored, or protected, or if you wish to exercise any of your rights, you may raise the matter through the usual customer support channels. We will treat all privacy-related requests seriously and respond in accordance with legal requirements.

Carpetcleaning Lambeth is committed to respecting privacy, using personal data responsibly, and maintaining trust with every customer in the area. Our approach is based on lawfulness, fairness, transparency, and data minimisation, ensuring that personal information is only used where necessary and protected at every stage.