Privacy Policy – Chalk Farm Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Chalk Farm Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Chalk Farm Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who enquire about our services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way, in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Chalk Farm Carpet Cleaners is a service provider offering carpet cleaning and associated cleaning services for homes and businesses in the Chalk Farm area and surrounding localities. 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.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for operating our services, managing customer relationships, and meeting legal obligations. The types of 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 booking details, property access instructions, cleaning preferences, and service history.
• Billing and payment information such as invoice records, payment status, and transaction references.
• Communication records such as enquiries, complaints, feedback, and correspondence related to our services.
• Technical data such as basic website or device information if you interact with us online, where applicable.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you voluntarily provide it and it is necessary for a specific service request. If such information is ever shared with us, we will treat it with additional care and only process it where a lawful basis exists.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
• To schedule, deliver, and manage carpet cleaning services.
• To process payments, send invoices, and keep financial records.
• To maintain service quality, handle complaints, and improve customer experience.
• To comply with legal, tax, and accounting obligations.
• To protect against fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access.
• To send service-related messages where necessary for the performance of a contract or legitimate business purposes.

We only use your data for purposes that are compatible with the reason it was collected. We do not sell personal information, and we do not use it for unrelated purposes without a valid legal basis.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each type of processing. Depending on the context, Chalk Farm Carpet Cleaners may rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, providing cleaning services, issuing invoices, and communicating about service delivery.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is in our legitimate interests to run and improve our business, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing customer records, responding to enquiries, preventing fraud, and improving service quality.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information to meet our legal duties, including accounting, tax, record-keeping, and compliance with applicable laws.

Consent

Where consent is required, such as for certain optional communications or specific types of processing, we will ask for it clearly. You can withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Sharing Personal Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These organisations act as processors when they process data on our behalf and only under our instructions. Examples may include:

• Payment processors used to handle card or online payments.
• Accounting and bookkeeping providers used for invoicing and tax compliance.
• Customer management or scheduling software providers used to manage bookings and service records.
• IT and cloud service providers used to store and secure business data.
• Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary.

We require processors to protect personal data, use it only for specified purposes, and implement appropriate security measures. Where a third party acts as an independent controller, such as a public authority or professional service provider, their own privacy arrangements may apply.

6. International Transfers

In some cases, personal data may be stored or processed outside the UK if a service provider uses overseas systems. When this happens, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy decision, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal protections, so that your data remains protected.

7. Data Retention

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

• Customer and booking records are kept for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards to handle queries or disputes.
• Financial records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
• Communication records may be kept for as long as needed to manage customer service issues and maintain business records.

When personal data is no longer needed, it will be securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe manner.

8. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures are designed to reflect the nature of the information we hold and the risks associated with processing it. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work hard to protect customer information and review our safeguards regularly.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to conditions and exemptions, but we will always consider your request carefully. Your rights 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 data.
• 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 cases.
• 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 where applicable.
• Right to withdraw consent – where processing relies on consent.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can try to resolve the matter promptly.

10. Cookies and Online Data

If you interact with us online, limited technical information may be collected to help the service function properly and to improve performance. Where cookies or similar technologies are used, they will be handled in accordance with applicable law. Any optional tracking or analytics, where used, will be subject to appropriate notice and, where required, consent.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or business operations. The updated 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 data is handled.

12. Our Commitment

Chalk Farm Carpet Cleaners is committed to processing personal data responsibly and respectfully. We aim to ensure that all data is collected only where necessary, used only for legitimate purposes, retained only for as long as needed, and protected with appropriate safeguards. By using our services, customers in the Chalk Farm area can be confident that their personal data is handled with care and in line with applicable data protection law.

Last updated: This policy should be reviewed and updated as necessary to remain compliant and accurate.