Privacy Policy - Sydenham Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Sydenham Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Sydenham Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who interacts with us in connection with carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, stain removal, rug care, and related services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We recognise the importance of privacy and take our responsibilities seriously. This policy is intended to help you understand what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights you have in relation to your personal data.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data we need to provide our services, manage bookings, respond to enquiries, and operate our business effectively. The type of data we collect may include:

• Identity details such as your name.
• Contact details such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
• Service information including details about the cleaning services requested, booking dates, property access notes, and job history.
• Payment information necessary to process payments, invoices, refunds, or accounting records. In many cases, payment card details are handled securely by payment providers rather than stored by us.
• Communications such as emails, messages, call notes, complaint records, and feedback.
• Technical data if you visit our online channels, which may include device information or basic usage information collected through cookies or similar tools.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you have provided it, or there is another lawful basis permitting us to do so. If you choose to share information that may be sensitive, we will only use it where it is relevant to the service and where appropriate safeguards are in place.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• To respond to enquiries and provide quotes.
• To schedule and deliver cleaning services.
• To manage customer accounts, invoices, and payments.
• To communicate with you about bookings, access arrangements, or service updates.
• To deal with complaints, disputes, or service issues.
• To keep business and tax records.
• To improve our services and maintain quality standards.
• To comply with legal obligations and defend legal claims where necessary.

We ensure that personal data is used only for legitimate business purposes and not in ways that would be unexpected or unfair. Where required, we will ask for consent before sending direct marketing communications.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the context, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing enquiries, booking services, completing cleaning work, and processing payments.

Legal Obligation

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

Legitimate Interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing our customer relationships, improving services, preventing fraud, and maintaining operational records. We always consider whether the processing is necessary and proportionate.

Consent

Where we rely on consent, such as for certain marketing activities, you may withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before it was withdrawn.

4. How We Share Data

We do not sell your personal data. However, we may share it with trusted third parties who help us deliver our services or operate our business. These parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. Sharing may include:

• Payment processors who handle secure card or online payments.
• Accounting and bookkeeping providers who support financial administration.
• IT and cloud service providers who store data or support systems we use for bookings and administration.
• Communication tools that help us send service-related messages or manage customer enquiries.
• Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where necessary.
• Public authorities or law enforcement agencies if required by law.

When we use processors, we ensure they are contractually required to protect personal data, process it only on our instructions, and maintain appropriate security measures. We choose processors carefully and review their safeguards where appropriate.

5. 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 requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the reason we hold it.

In general:

• Customer booking and service records are kept for as long as needed to manage the relationship and address follow-up issues.
• Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law.
• Complaint records may be kept for a reasonable time to resolve disputes and improve service quality.
• Marketing records are kept until you opt out or withdraw consent, where applicable.

When data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you. We review retention periods periodically to ensure they remain appropriate.

6. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure systems, staff training, and limiting access to those who need it for legitimate business purposes.

Although we take security seriously, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will take the required steps under applicable law, which may include notifying you and relevant authorities where appropriate.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limits or exceptions. They include:

• 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 ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
• Right to data portability – you can request certain data in a machine-readable format where applicable.
• Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or to direct marketing.
• 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 respond in accordance with data protection law and may need to verify your identity before taking action. We aim to handle requests fairly and within the required timeframes.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults arranging cleaning services for homes or premises. We do not knowingly collect personal data directly from children. If we become aware that we have collected such data without appropriate authority, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or operational needs. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

10. Summary of Our Commitment

Sydenham Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting customer privacy and using personal data responsibly. We collect only what is necessary, use it for clear and lawful purposes, retain it only as long as needed, and work with processors who are required to keep it secure. Your trust matters to us, and we aim to process your information in a way that is transparent, respectful, and compliant with applicable law.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Sydenham Carpet Cleaners customers in area.