Privacy Policy - West Harrow Carpet Cleaners

West Harrow Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the West Harrow area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when you use our carpet cleaning services, request a quotation, book an appointment, or otherwise interact with us. It applies to all West Harrow Carpet Cleaners customers in the area and is designed to comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, West Harrow Carpet Cleaners is the data controller in relation to the personal data we collect and process in connection with our services. This means we decide how and why your personal information is used. We take our responsibilities seriously and ensure that personal data is handled lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the information that is necessary to provide our services effectively, manage customer relationships, and meet legal obligations. The types of personal data we may collect include:

• Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, business name
• Contact details such as your phone number, email address, and service address
• Service information including the type of carpet cleaning requested, property access notes, and booking preferences
• Payment-related information such as payment status and transaction records
• Communication records including messages, complaints, feedback, and appointment confirmations
• Technical data if you contact us through digital channels, such as device or browser information, where applicable

We generally do not collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and lawful to do so. If such information is ever provided incidentally, we will handle it with additional care and only where a valid legal basis applies.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• To respond to enquiries and provide quotations
• To schedule and deliver carpet cleaning services
• To manage customer accounts, appointments, and service records
• To process payments and maintain financial records
• To communicate service updates, reminders, and follow-up messages
• To handle complaints, claims, and customer support matters
• To improve our services and maintain quality standards
• To comply with legal, accounting, and regulatory requirements

We only use personal data where we have a valid lawful basis and where the use is consistent with the purpose for which the data was collected.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. West Harrow Carpet Cleaners relies on the following lawful bases, depending on the situation:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, delivering cleaning services, confirming appointments, and processing payments.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving customer service, preventing fraud, maintaining service records, and responding to customer enquiries.

Legal Obligation

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

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you agree to receive certain types of optional communications. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties, known as processors, who help us operate our business and provide services. These processors act on our instructions and are required to protect your information.

Examples of processors may include:

• Payment service providers that handle transactions securely
• Booking or scheduling systems that help manage appointments
• IT and cloud service providers that store or support business data
• Communication service providers that help send service-related messages
• Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, or a lawful request from a public authority. We do not sell personal data.

6. International Transfers

Where any processor or service provider stores or accesses data outside the United Kingdom, we take appropriate steps to ensure that your personal information remains protected. This may include the use of approved safeguards such as standard contractual clauses or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason it was collected.

In general:

• Customer service records may be kept for as long as needed to manage the relationship and resolve disputes
• Financial and invoicing records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting law
• Communication records may be retained for a reasonable period to support customer service and compliance

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data handling practices. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work diligently to safeguard the information entrusted to us.

9. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have rights under data protection law in relation to your personal data. These rights may include:

• Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
• Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations
• Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
• Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format
• Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with how your personal data is handled. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any concern directly and promptly.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and household customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary and lawful in connection with a customer interaction, for example where a property contact name is provided. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child in error, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

11. Automated Decision-Making

West Harrow Carpet Cleaners does not use personal data for decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects. Any service decisions are made by our team using relevant business information and customer instructions.

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 protection practices. Any updates will apply from the date they are published. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to remain informed about how we handle personal data.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

West Harrow Carpet Cleaners respects the privacy of every customer in the area and is committed to processing personal data responsibly. We collect only what is needed, use it for clear and lawful purposes, share it only with trusted processors or where required by law, and keep it only for as long as necessary. We also aim to ensure that your rights are respected at all times.

This Privacy Policy applies to all West Harrow Carpet Cleaners customers in the West Harrow area.