Privacy Policy - Osterley Carpet Cleaners

Osterley Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of every customer in the Osterley area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, store, and protect personal information when you use our carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Osterley Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who contacts us about our services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Osterley Carpet Cleaners acts as the data controller in relation to the personal data we collect and use. This means we decide how and why your personal information is processed. We take our obligations under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 seriously and aim to process all personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity information such as your name.
Contact details such as your phone number, email address, and service address.
Booking information including appointment dates, service requests, and job notes.
Payment-related information such as billing details and payment confirmation, where applicable.
Service history including details of past cleanings, customer preferences, stains treated, and equipment used.
Communication records such as emails, messages, and notes from phone conversations.
Technical information if you interact with us online, such as device or browser data, where relevant to service delivery or security.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and permitted by law. If such data is ever provided to us by you, we will handle it with appropriate safeguards and only where there is a valid lawful basis for doing so.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

Request a quote or make an enquiry.
Book or reschedule a cleaning appointment.
Use our services or communicate with us about them.
Provide feedback, complaints, or testimonials.
Make a payment or request billing-related information.

We may also receive personal data from third parties where necessary, such as from payment providers, referral partners, or property managers acting on your behalf. In each case, we ensure the information is processed in line with this Policy and applicable law.

4. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide carpet cleaning and related services.
To manage bookings, appointments, and customer enquiries.
To prepare quotes, invoices, and receipts.
To communicate service updates, confirmations, and follow-up information.
To maintain accurate customer records and service histories.
To handle complaints, disputes, and customer support matters.
To comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
To improve our services, customer experience, and operational efficiency.

We only use your information for purposes that are compatible with the reason it was collected, unless we have a lawful basis to use it differently.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for every use of personal data. Osterley Carpet Cleaners relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes handling bookings, delivering cleaning services, issuing invoices, and managing service-related communications.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your interests and rights do not override those interests. Examples include improving our services, responding to enquiries, maintaining records, preventing fraud, and managing customer relationships. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the impact on your privacy and apply appropriate safeguards.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where necessary to comply with legal obligations, such as tax record keeping, accounting duties, or responding to lawful requests from public authorities.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example for specific optional communications. Where consent is used, it will be given freely, be specific, informed, and easy to withdraw at any time.

6. Sharing Your Personal Data

We do not sell personal data. We only share it where necessary and appropriate for running our business and providing our services. We may share personal data with trusted processors and service providers who act on our instructions, such as:

Payment processors for handling payments securely.
IT and cloud service providers for storing data and maintaining systems.
Accounting or bookkeeping providers for financial administration.
Customer communication tools for sending service-related messages.
Professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, or legal advisers where necessary.

We require processors to protect personal data, use it only for the purposes we specify, and keep it confidential. If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with data protection law.

7. Data Retention

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

Booking and service records are generally retained for a reasonable period to manage customer history and service continuity.
Financial and tax-related records are retained for the period required by law.
Communication records may be retained for as long as needed to resolve issues, manage ongoing relationships, or evidence instructions.

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

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our procedures. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a high standard of data protection.

9. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have a number of rights under data protection law. These rights may apply in different situations and may be subject to legal limits. 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 information.
Right to erasure – in some cases, you may ask us to delete your personal data.
Right to restrict processing – you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you may request transfer of certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, you may make a request using the appropriate channels available to you. We may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the time limits set by law.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental to a service arrangement involving an adult customer and only when legally permitted. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully from a child, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

11. Complaints

If you are concerned about how your personal data has been handled, you have the right to raise a complaint with us. We will take complaints seriously and investigate them promptly. You also have the right to complain to the UK data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or the way we process data. Any updates will take effect when published. We encourage customers to review this Policy periodically so they remain informed about how we protect personal information.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Osterley Carpet Cleaners processes personal data responsibly, lawfully, and only when necessary. We collect limited information, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, share it only with trusted processors, and keep it only as long as needed. We respect your rights and are committed to maintaining privacy, transparency, and accountability for all customers in the Osterley area.