Privacy Policy - Greenwich Carpet Cleaners

Effective date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Greenwich Carpet Cleaners customers in the Greenwich area and explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Introduction

Greenwich Carpet Cleaners is committed to handling personal data responsibly, fairly, and transparently. We respect the privacy of every customer, prospective customer, website visitor, and any other individual whose data we process in connection with our carpet, upholstery, rug, and related cleaning services.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, the legal basis we rely on to process it, how long we keep it, who we may share it with, and the rights you have over your information.

2. Information we collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity information: name, title, and any details you provide when making an enquiry or booking a service.
Contact information: address, email address, telephone number, and any other contact details necessary to manage your service request.
Service information: details of the cleaning services requested, appointment times, property access notes, and service preferences.
Billing and transaction information: payment status, invoice details, and records of services purchased.
Communication records: correspondence by email, phone, message, or other channels relating to enquiries, bookings, complaints, feedback, or service updates.
Technical information: limited device and usage information when you interact with digital systems we may use to manage leads or bookings.
Special category data: we do not intentionally collect special category data such as health, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or biometric information. Please do not provide such information unless it is strictly necessary and you are comfortable doing so.

We generally collect personal data directly from you. In some cases, we may also receive information from third parties such as landlords, property managers, tenants, estate agents, or payment providers where this is necessary for service delivery or administration.

3. How we use your information

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to schedule, confirm, deliver, and manage cleaning services;
to process payments, issue invoices, and keep financial records;
to communicate about appointments, service changes, and service outcomes;
to handle complaints, disputes, and customer support matters;
to maintain internal records and business administration;
to improve our services, train staff, and monitor quality;
to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
to prevent fraud, misuse, and security incidents.

4. Lawful basis for processing

We will only process your personal data when we have a valid lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process your data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as arranging a carpet cleaning appointment, issuing an invoice, or managing service delivery.

Legitimate interests

We may process your data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. This may include managing enquiries, maintaining records, improving our services, and protecting our business from misuse or fraud.

Legal obligation

We process certain information where required by law, including tax, accounting, insurance, record-keeping, and regulatory requirements.

Consent

Where consent is required, such as for certain optional communications or preferences, we will ask for it clearly and you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Data sharing and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These organisations act as data processors or, in some situations, independent controllers. We only share data where necessary and appropriate.

Payment processors: to handle card payments or other financial transactions securely.
Booking and administration software providers: to manage schedules, customer records, and service operations.
Email and communication service providers: to send service-related messages and store correspondence.
IT and cloud storage providers: to host and secure business systems and records.
Professional advisers: such as accountants, insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where necessary.
Public authorities: where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety.

All processors are expected to process personal data only on our instructions, protect it appropriately, and comply with applicable data protection laws. We do not sell your personal data.

6. International transfers

If personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms designed to protect your information to UK GDPR standards.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, and reporting obligations. Retention periods vary depending on the type of record and the reason for processing.

Customer service and booking records: kept for as long as needed to manage the service relationship and any follow-up issues.
Invoices and tax-related records: kept for the period required by law for financial and accounting compliance.
Communication records: kept for a reasonable period to support service administration, customer care, and dispute resolution.
Complaint and claims records: retained long enough to manage complaints, insurance matters, or potential legal claims.

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

8. Your rights

Under data protection law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

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 request transfer of certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Please note that these rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal limitations or exemptions.

9. Security of your data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data handling practices.

10. Children’s data

Our services are directed to adults and property-related customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidentally provided in the course of a service request and is necessary for legitimate operational reasons.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, technology, or our business practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically.

12. Contacting us about privacy

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or are concerned about how we handle your information, you may raise a privacy request through our normal customer service channels. We will respond in accordance with applicable legal time limits.

Greenwich Carpet Cleaners is committed to ensuring that your personal data is handled lawfully, securely, and respectfully. By using our services in the Greenwich area, you acknowledge that we may process your information as described in this policy and in line with applicable data protection laws.