Privacy Policy - Addiscombe Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Addiscombe Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Addiscombe Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including current, former, and prospective customers who request services, receive quotations, make enquiries, or otherwise interact with us.

We are committed to handling personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable privacy laws. This policy is written to be clear and transparent so that you understand what information we process and why.

1. Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary to provide carpet cleaning and related services, manage bookings, and run our business effectively. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information such as property access details, room sizes, flooring type, stain information, and service preferences.
Booking and transaction data such as appointment dates, service history, invoices, payment status, and records of communication.
Technical data such as basic device or browser information when you interact with us digitally, where applicable.
Special category data only where it is unavoidable and necessary, for example if you voluntarily provide information relevant to health, access needs, or sensitivities that may affect service delivery.

We do not collect more data than is needed, and we do not intentionally seek sensitive information unless it is essential for a specific service or legal obligation.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide carpet cleaning and related services.
To manage bookings, quotations, and service delivery.
To communicate with you about appointments, changes, or service updates.
To process payments, issue invoices, and maintain business records.
To respond to enquiries, complaints, and aftercare requests.
To improve our services, customer experience, and operational efficiency.
To comply with legal, tax, accounting, and insurance obligations.
To protect our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud, misuse, or security issues.

We will only use your personal data in ways that are compatible with the purposes described in this policy unless we have a valid legal basis for a new use.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. The lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract

We process your data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, confirming bookings, carrying out cleaning services, handling payments, and managing follow-up support.

Legitimate Interests

We may process your data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include maintaining records, improving our services, managing customer relationships, preventing fraud, and ensuring safe and efficient operations.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information where required by law. This may include tax records, accounting information, insurance-related documentation, and compliance with regulatory obligations.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent. For example, if we need to process optional information that is not essential to the service, we will ask for your permission. You may withdraw consent at any time, where consent is the lawful basis for processing.

Vital Interests

In rare cases, we may process data where it is necessary to protect someone’s vital interests, such as in an emergency involving health or safety.

4. How We Share Personal Data

We only share personal data where necessary and only with trusted parties that help us operate our business. These may include:

Payment providers who process transactions securely.
Accounting and tax service providers who help with financial records and statutory compliance.
IT, hosting, and software providers who support administration, scheduling, and data storage systems.
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where required.
Public authorities where disclosure is required by law, court order, or lawful request.

Where processors are used, they are only allowed to process personal data on our instructions and must keep it secure and confidential. We aim to ensure that all processors provide appropriate safeguards and comply with data protection requirements.

5. Data Retention

We keep 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 holding it.

Customer service and booking records are typically retained for a reasonable period to manage enquiries, service history, and follow-up matters.
Invoice and payment records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communication records may be kept for dispute resolution, quality assurance, and business administration.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices. We do not keep data indefinitely.

6. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality practices, and limited data sharing on a need-to-know basis.

While we work hard to protect all data we hold, no system can be guaranteed 100% secure. If a personal data breach occurs and we are legally required to do so, we will take the appropriate steps, which may include notifying affected individuals and relevant authorities.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing. 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 – in certain cases, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in some circumstances.
Right to data portability – where applicable, you can request that data be provided in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data has been handled improperly. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any issues directly and promptly.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for a specific service arrangement and handled appropriately with relevant safeguards.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business operations, or data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we process personal data.

10. Summary of Our Approach

At Addiscombe Carpet Cleaners, we aim to process personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear purposes, keep it only for as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We respect your rights and take privacy seriously in every stage of our work.

By using our services, requesting a quotation, or making an enquiry, you acknowledge that this Privacy Policy applies to you as a customer of Addiscombe Carpet Cleaners in the area.