Privacy Policy - South Norwood Carpet Cleaners

South Norwood Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the South Norwood area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, store, and protect personal information, and it sets out the rights available to individuals under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy applies to all South Norwood Carpet Cleaners customers in area, including residential and commercial clients, as well as anyone who enquires about our services.

1. Who We Are

South Norwood Carpet Cleaners provides carpet cleaning and related cleaning services to customers in South Norwood and the surrounding area. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services. This means we decide how and why your personal information is processed.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity details, such as your name
Contact details, such as address, email address, and telephone number
Service details, such as the type of cleaning requested, property information, preferred dates, and access instructions
Payment information, such as invoice records, transaction references, and billing history
Communication records, including emails, messages, notes from calls, and complaint records
Technical information, where relevant, such as basic website or device data if you contact us through online forms
Special category data, only where you voluntarily provide it and where it is necessary, for example if you disclose health-related access needs, allergies, or vulnerability considerations

We do not seek to collect unnecessary personal information. If you give us information that is not needed, we will handle it carefully and only retain it where there is a lawful reason to do so.

3. How We Collect Personal Data

We may collect personal data in several ways:

Directly from you when you request a quote, book a service, or communicate with us
From your representative, such as a family member, landlord, tenant, or property manager, where they are authorised to act on your behalf
From payment and invoicing records
From correspondence related to service delivery, feedback, or complaints

We aim to be transparent about what we collect and why. If we collect data from a source other than you, we will only use it in line with this policy and applicable law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

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

Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes arranging appointments, carrying out cleaning services, managing payments, and responding to service requests.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving our services, maintaining records, preventing fraud, and handling customer enquiries efficiently. We always consider whether the processing is proportionate and respectful of your privacy.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information to comply with legal duties, such as accounting requirements, tax obligations, or record-keeping laws.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, particularly where this is required for optional communication preferences or the use of certain information you choose to provide. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

Vital Interests and Special Category Data

In exceptional circumstances, we may process special category data where necessary to protect vital interests or where you have made it available in connection with access, safety, or health-related needs. We will only do so where the law permits and where appropriate safeguards are in place.

5. How We Use Personal Data

We may use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and manage bookings
To deliver carpet cleaning and related services
To communicate about appointments, changes, and follow-up matters
To issue invoices and process payments
To maintain internal records and service history
To respond to complaints, enquiries, and requests
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations
To improve our services and customer experience

We will not use your personal data in ways that are incompatible with the purposes explained in this policy unless we are required or permitted to do so by law.

6. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

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

IT and cloud service providers that store or support our systems
Accounting or bookkeeping providers that assist with financial records
Payment processing providers that handle card or transfer transactions
Administrative tools or communication platforms used for scheduling or customer management

We may also share personal data where necessary with:

Professional advisers such as lawyers or accountants
Regulators, law enforcement, or public authorities where required by law
Insurers or dispute resolution bodies where relevant to a claim or complaint

We do not sell personal data. Where data is shared, we make sure appropriate contractual and security measures are in place.

7. International Transfers

If any service provider stores or processes personal data outside the United Kingdom, we will take steps to ensure that suitable safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal protections. Our aim is to ensure your information remains protected to a standard consistent with UK data protection law.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason it was collected.

Customer and service records are generally retained for a reasonable period to manage follow-up, disputes, or repeat services
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law
Communication records may be kept for as long as needed to resolve queries or maintain business records
Special category data is kept only for the shortest period necessary and deleted when no longer required

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices. We do not keep information indefinitely without a lawful reason.

9. Security of Personal Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unlawful access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, restricted permissions, and staff awareness of confidentiality obligations. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection that is suitable to the nature of the data we process.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

The right to be informed about how your data is used
The right of access to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you
The right to rectification if your data is inaccurate or incomplete
The right to erasure in certain situations, sometimes called the right to be forgotten
The right to restrict processing in certain cases
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests
The right to data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means
The right to withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis relied on

You also have the right to raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully. We encourage you to contact us first so we can attempt to resolve any issue promptly and fairly.

11. Automated Decision-Making

We do not use personal data for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects. If this changes in the future, we will update this policy and ensure that any such processing complies with legal requirements.

12. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children for marketing or unrelated purposes. If a child’s information is provided as part of a service arrangement, for example in relation to a household booking, we will only process it where necessary and with appropriate care.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or our internal practices. Any revised 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 personal data is handled.

14. Summary of Our Commitments

In summary, South Norwood Carpet Cleaners will:

Collect only the personal data needed to provide services and manage our business
Process data fairly, lawfully, and transparently
Use personal data only for clearly defined purposes
Share data only with trusted processors or where legally required
Keep data only for as long as necessary
Respect and support your privacy rights

Last updated: This Privacy Policy applies to all South Norwood Carpet Cleaners customers in area and reflects our commitment to responsible data protection practices. Your privacy matters to us, and we handle personal information with care and accountability.