Privacy Policy - Winchmorehill Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Winchmorehill Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Winchmorehill Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including prospective customers, household clients, landlord and letting arrangements, and any individual who interacts with us in connection with our services.

1. Who We Are

Winchmorehill Carpet Cleaners acts as a data controller for the personal data we process in the course of delivering our services. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We are committed to handling personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We only collect data that is necessary for the provision and management of our services, for legal compliance, and for legitimate business purposes.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of information:

Identity information: name and, where applicable, title.
Contact information: address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information: details about the cleaning services requested, property access instructions, service preferences, stain or fabric notes, and appointment history.
Payment information: limited payment-related information necessary to process invoices, receipts, refunds, or reconcile payments. We do not retain full card details unless required by a secure third-party payment provider.
Communication records: messages, call notes, complaint details, feedback, and correspondence relating to appointments or service delivery.
Technical information: basic device or website interaction data if you contact us through digital means, such as IP address or browser details, where applicable and necessary.

We generally do not seek to collect special category data. However, if such information is voluntarily disclosed by you and is relevant to service delivery or safety, we will only process it where a lawful basis applies and where appropriate safeguards are in place.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and arrange cleaning services.
To manage bookings, site access, and service delivery.
To communicate about appointments, changes, follow-up matters, and customer support.
To issue invoices, record payments, and handle accounting matters.
To respond to complaints, disputes, or requests for remedial work.
To maintain service records, quality control, and business administration.
To meet legal, tax, and regulatory obligations.
To protect our business against fraud, misuse, or unlawful conduct.

We only process personal data where it is relevant and proportionate to these purposes. We do not sell personal data.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Winchmorehill Carpet Cleaners relies on the following bases:

a. Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes arranging a quote, scheduling services, carrying out carpet cleaning, billing, and managing customer requests linked to the service.

b. Legal Obligation

We may process data when required to comply with legal obligations, such as tax records, accounting requirements, record-keeping rules, and responses to lawful requests from authorities.

c. Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This includes business administration, service improvement, record management, fraud prevention, and handling complaints. When we rely on this basis, we consider whether the processing is necessary, balanced, and proportionate.

d. Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, especially for optional communications or the processing of information not strictly necessary for service delivery. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties, known as processors, who assist us in operating our business. These processors act on our instructions and are required to protect your data. They may include:

Payment processors used to handle secure payment transactions.
Accounting and invoicing providers used for financial administration and compliance.
IT, cloud storage, and software providers used to store records, manage communications, and support business operations.
Customer service or scheduling tools used to organise appointments and service records.
Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, to protect our legal rights, or to prevent fraud or security incidents. Any sharing is limited to what is necessary and proportionate.

6. International Transfers

If any processor stores or accesses data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms designed to protect your personal data to the required standard.

7. 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 data and the reason for processing.

Service and booking records are generally kept for a reasonable period to manage follow-up requests, service history, and dispute resolution.
Financial records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communication records are kept as long as needed to handle customer care, complaints, and service continuity.

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

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, encryption where appropriate, staff awareness practices, and careful selection of processors.

While no system can be guaranteed entirely secure, we take reasonable and proportionate steps to protect the information we hold.

9. Your Rights

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

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: you can request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction: you can ask us to limit processing in certain situations.
Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to data portability: you can request data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will assess your request in accordance with applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before responding to protect your privacy.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging cleaning services for residential or commercial premises. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children, and our procedures are not designed to target minors.

11. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use online tools that place cookies or similar technologies on devices, these may be used for basic functionality, security, and understanding how our services are used. Where required, we will seek consent for non-essential cookies and provide appropriate information about their use.

12. 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 handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review it periodically to stay informed about how we process personal data.

13. Complaints and Further Information

If you have concerns about how your personal data is handled, we encourage you to raise them with us first so that we can address the issue promptly. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

By using the services of Winchmorehill Carpet Cleaners, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws. We remain committed to protecting your privacy and using your information responsibly, fairly, and securely.