Privacy Policy - Canary Wharf Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Canary Wharf Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Canary Wharf Carpet Cleaners customers in the Canary Wharf area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who has enquired about our services. We are committed to handling personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Canary Wharf Carpet Cleaners provides carpet cleaning and related cleaning services to residential and commercial customers in Canary Wharf and the surrounding area. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. This means we determine why and how your personal data is processed.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary for providing our services, managing customer relationships, and meeting legal or operational obligations. The information we may collect includes:

Identity details: name, title, and where relevant business name.
Contact details: address, email address, telephone number, and preferred communication method.
Service details: property access information, cleaning requirements, service history, booking dates, and notes related to the work requested.
Payment information: payment status, transaction records, and billing details. We do not keep unnecessary payment information longer than needed.
Communication records: correspondence, feedback, complaints, and service updates.
Technical information: limited data such as device or browser details if collected through digital booking or enquiry systems.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you provide it voluntarily. If such information is ever required, we will process it only where a lawful basis applies and additional safeguards are in place.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to arrange, deliver, and manage carpet cleaning services;
to process payments and keep financial records;
to communicate appointment details, changes, and aftercare information;
to handle complaints, customer support, and service quality issues;
to maintain business records and comply with legal obligations;
to prevent fraud, misuse, and unauthorised access;
to improve our services and internal operations.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose and that use is permitted by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a valid lawful basis under UK GDPR. The main lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract: when processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform a contract with you, such as providing carpet cleaning services, taking bookings, and issuing invoices.
Legal obligation: when processing is required to comply with accounting, tax, or other legal duties.
Legitimate interests: when processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as managing customer records, improving services, preventing fraud, and ensuring secure operations, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests.
Consent: where we rely on your clear permission for specific activities, such as optional marketing communications. You may withdraw consent at any time if we are relying on it.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we assess the impact on your privacy and balance those interests against your rights. We only process data where we have a fair and reasonable reason to do so.

5. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with carefully selected third parties who assist in the delivery of our services. These parties act as processors when they process data on our behalf and under our instructions. They may include:

payment service providers;
booking and scheduling software providers;
IT and cloud storage providers;
customer communication or email service providers;
accounting and bookkeeping service providers;
professional advisers such as lawyers, insurers, or auditors where necessary.

We require all processors to protect personal data using appropriate technical and organisational measures and to use it only for the agreed purpose. We do not sell your personal data.

We may also disclose information where required by law, regulation, court order, or to protect our rights, customers, staff, or business operations. If a business transfer occurs, such as a merger or sale, personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to appropriate safeguards.

6. 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, and reporting obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason for processing.

Customer and service records: retained for a reasonable period to manage the relationship, handle follow-up queries, and support service history.
Financial and invoicing records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communication records: retained as long as needed to resolve queries, complaints, or disputes.
Marketing data: retained until you unsubscribe, object, or we no longer need it.

When data is no longer needed, we securely delete, destroy, or anonymise it. We review retention regularly to ensure data is not kept longer than necessary.

7. Data Security

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

Although no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take data protection seriously and work to reduce risks to your information. If a data breach occurs that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will respond in line with legal requirements.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to conditions and exemptions under the law. 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 some circumstances, you may ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction: you can request that we restrict certain processing in specific situations.
Right to data portability: where applicable, you may request that we provide your data 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: if processing is based on consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time.

If you exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the time limits set by law. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you are concerned about how your data is handled.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use online booking or enquiry systems, limited cookies or similar technologies may be used to support basic functionality, security, and performance. Where required, we will provide notice and obtain consent for non-essential cookies. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

10. International Transfers

Where any processor stores or accesses personal data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect the information. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or service delivery. Any updated version will apply from the date it takes effect. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how their personal data is handled.

12. Summary of Key Commitments

Our approach

We collect only the personal data needed to provide carpet cleaning services in Canary Wharf.
We use data fairly, lawfully, and transparently.
We rely on appropriate lawful bases, including contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and consent where needed.
We share data only with trusted processors or where required by law.
We retain data only for as long as necessary and protect it with suitable safeguards.
We respect your privacy rights and provide a lawful route to exercise them.

Canary Wharf Carpet Cleaners is committed to maintaining privacy standards that are consistent, responsible, and respectful of every customer in the area. This Privacy Policy is intended to give you clear information about how we handle your personal data and the choices available to you.