Privacy Policy - Heston Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Heston Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Heston Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including individuals who enquire about our services, make a booking, receive a quotation, or otherwise interact with us.

We are committed to handling personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We aim to be clear, fair, and transparent about how we process personal data.

1. Who we are

Heston Carpet Cleaners provides carpet cleaning and associated domestic and commercial cleaning services. In the context of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use for our own service operations, administration, and legal obligations.

2. Information we collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for the delivery and management of our services. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name.
Contact details such as your telephone number, email address, and service address.
Booking details including appointment dates, requested services, special instructions, and service preferences.
Payment information where needed to process transactions, issue invoices, or record payments.
Communication records such as enquiries, complaints, feedback, and correspondence.
Property and service information relevant to the job, such as room sizes, carpet condition, stain information, or access notes.
Technical information if you interact with us electronically, such as device or usage data generated through standard website and email systems, where applicable.

We do not intentionally collect special category personal data unless it is necessary and lawful to do so. If such information is provided to us incidentally, we will process it only where a valid legal basis exists and where appropriate safeguards are in place.

3. How we use your personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To manage bookings, deliver cleaning services, and handle follow-up work.
To process payments, invoices, refunds, and account administration.
To communicate with you about appointments, service updates, and customer support.
To maintain internal records, improve service quality, and manage our business operations.
To comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory requirements.
To resolve disputes, handle complaints, and prevent fraud or misuse of our services.

We only use personal data in ways that are compatible with the purposes for which it was collected, unless we have a valid reason to do otherwise under data protection law.

4. Lawful basis for processing

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

Contract

We process your personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, providing carpet cleaning services, sending service confirmations, and managing payments.

Legitimate interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. This may include managing customer relationships, improving services, keeping records, and ensuring the security and proper administration of our business.

Legal obligation

We process personal data when required to do so in order to meet legal obligations, such as maintaining tax records, complying with accounting rules, and responding to lawful requests from public authorities.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where specific marketing communications are involved or where we need permission to process optional information. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing your information with processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors on our behalf. These processors only handle personal data under our instructions and are required to keep it secure and confidential. Examples may include:

Payment service providers who process card or electronic payments.
IT and cloud service providers who support data storage, communications, scheduling, or record management.
Accounting or bookkeeping services that assist with invoicing, financial records, and tax compliance.
Administrative support providers that help with appointment management and customer communications.

We may also disclose personal data where necessary to professional advisers, insurers, or public authorities, but only when legally permitted or required. We do not sell personal data.

6. Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including service delivery, customer service, legal compliance, and dispute resolution. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason it is held.

In general:

Customer booking and service records are kept for a period that allows us to manage follow-up queries, warranty or complaint issues, and business administration.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Communication records may be kept for a reasonable period to support service history and complaint handling.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of it in a safe manner.

7. International transfers

If any processor or service provider stores or accesses personal data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect that data in accordance with applicable law. These safeguards may include approved contractual protections and other measures required by the UK GDPR.

8. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures are designed to reflect the nature of the information we process and the risks associated with it. While no system can be guaranteed as completely secure, we work to maintain a responsible and proportionate level of protection.

9. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights regarding your personal data. Subject to legal conditions and exemptions, 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 personal 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 usable format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based 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 believe your data protection rights have been violated.

10. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adult customers and business clients. We do not knowingly collect personal data directly from children unless it is necessary in the context of a service request made by an adult customer and handled lawfully.

11. 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 revised version will apply from the date it is issued and should be reviewed periodically to stay informed.

12. Summary of our approach

Heston Carpet Cleaners processes personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear business purposes, retain it for appropriate periods, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We respect your rights and aim to handle all customer data with care and accountability.