Privacy Policy - Lewisham Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Lewisham Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Lewisham Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, former customers, and anyone who makes an enquiry or requests a quote.

We are committed to handling personal information in a way that is lawful, fair, transparent, and secure. This policy is designed to meet the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary to provide our services, manage customer relationships, comply with legal obligations, and run our business efficiently. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, the name of a business or property manager.
Contact details such as address, phone number, and email address.
Service information including property access instructions, preferred appointment times, cleaning requirements, and notes about the work requested.
Payment and transaction details such as records of invoices, payments received, and payment status.
Communication records including messages, calls, complaints, feedback, and service-related correspondence.
Technical data if you interact with us electronically, such as limited device or browser information, although we do not use this for profiling.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you provide it voluntarily. For example, a customer may share information relevant to access needs, allergies, or health-related considerations so we can carry out a safe service. Where such information is provided, we treat it with extra care and only use it for the purpose for which it was shared.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to deliver our services and manage our operations. Typical uses include:

Providing quotes and responding to enquiries.
Scheduling and carrying out carpet cleaning and related cleaning services.
Managing customer accounts, invoices, receipts, and payments.
Communicating about appointments, service updates, and follow-up matters.
Handling complaints, disputes, or service issues.
Maintaining business records and meeting tax, accounting, and insurance obligations.
Improving service quality and customer experience.

We use personal data only for specified purposes and avoid using it in ways that are incompatible with those purposes. We do not sell personal data.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the situation, one or more of the following bases may apply:

Contract

We process data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing a quotation, booking a job, completing cleaning work, invoicing, and dealing with service-related communications.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information to comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including accounting, tax, record-keeping, and insurance requirements.

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 managing customer relationships, preventing fraud, improving services, and maintaining internal records.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, particularly where it is appropriate for optional communications or when you share sensitive information that is not otherwise required for the service. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

We will only process special category data where permitted by law and where an additional condition under UK GDPR is met.

4. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These parties act as data processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We require appropriate safeguards and only share what is necessary.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment processors used to handle card or electronic payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers who help manage financial records and tax compliance.
IT and cloud storage providers who securely store business data and support communications systems.
Scheduling or customer management tools used for booking and service administration.
Professional advisers such as accountants, legal advisers, or insurers where necessary.

We may also disclose information if required by law, court order, law enforcement request, or to protect our rights, safety, or property. When data is shared outside the UK or the European Economic Area, we will ensure appropriate legal safeguards are in place.

5. 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 information and why it was collected.

Customer service records are typically kept for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards in case of follow-up queries or disputes.
Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law and accounting obligations.
Complaint and communication records may be retained for a period needed to resolve issues and demonstrate service history.
Consent-based records are kept until consent is withdrawn or the data is no longer needed.

When data is no longer needed, we delete, anonymise, or securely dispose of it. We review retained information periodically to ensure it remains necessary.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These may include password protection, access restrictions, secure storage, and staff awareness of confidentiality obligations. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to minimise risk and respond quickly if any issue arises.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limits, exemptions, or conditions.

Right of access – you can request 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 cases, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restrict processing – you can request that we limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you can request certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the timeframe required by law.

8. Marketing Communications

If we send marketing communications, we will do so only where permitted by law. You may opt out at any time. We will respect your preferences and stop sending direct marketing where you have objected.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and property-related customers. We do not knowingly collect data directly from children unless it is necessary for a lawful service-related purpose and provided by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or how we process personal data. The latest version will always apply to all customers in the Lewisham area who use our services. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Lewisham Carpet Cleaners is committed to treating personal data with respect, transparency, and care. We collect only what we need, process it on a lawful basis, keep it only as long as necessary, and use trusted processors where appropriate. We also uphold your rights and aim to ensure that your information remains protected throughout the entire customer relationship.

This policy applies to all Lewisham Carpet Cleaners customers in the area.