Privacy Policy - Harlesden Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Harlesden Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Harlesden Carpet Cleaners customers in the area and to anyone who interacts with our services, including enquiries, quotations, bookings, completed cleaning appointments, and aftercare communications. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure way in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

Harlesden Carpet Cleaners provides professional carpet and related cleaning services to residential and commercial customers in the area. For the purpose of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use about our customers, suppliers, and website or service users where applicable. This means we decide how and why personal information is processed.

2. Personal data we collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for us to provide our services, manage our business, and comply with 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 details such as property information, cleaning requirements, preferred appointment times, and notes relating to the work requested.
Payment and billing information such as transaction records and invoice details.
Communication records such as messages, call notes, complaint details, and booking correspondence.
Technical data if you communicate with us through digital systems, including basic device or usage information where necessary for security and service operation.
Special category data only where it is unavoidable and relevant, for example if you voluntarily share information about allergies, health conditions, or access needs that affect the service. We will always treat this information with extra care.

We do not deliberately collect more information than we need. If you provide personal data about another person, you should ensure that you have the right to do so and that they understand this policy where appropriate.

3. How we collect data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

make an enquiry or request a quote;
book a service;
communicate with us by phone, email, message, or in person;
provide feedback, reviews, or complaints;
enter into a contract for services; or
make a payment or request an invoice.

We may also receive data from third parties where necessary, such as from property managers, letting agents, business clients, or payment service providers acting on your behalf.

4. Why we use personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to arrange and deliver cleaning services;
to manage appointments and customer records;
to process payments, issue invoices, and maintain financial records;
to communicate about your booking or service updates;
to handle complaints, claims, or service queries;
to improve our services, training, and internal operations;
to meet legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory requirements;
to protect our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud, misuse, or security risks.

We will only use your information in ways that are compatible with the reasons it was collected, unless we are required or allowed by law to do otherwise.

5. Lawful basis for processing

We rely on the following lawful bases under data protection law:

Contract - when processing is necessary to provide a quote, book an appointment, perform a cleaning service, manage payment, or take steps at your request before entering into a contract.
Legal obligation - when we must keep records for tax, accounting, insurance, or other legal compliance purposes.
Legitimate interests - when we use data to manage our business, improve customer service, maintain records, prevent fraud, or protect our legal rights, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
Consent - where we rely on your clear permission, such as for optional communications or for processing special category information that you choose to provide and that cannot be handled under another lawful basis.

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

6. Sharing your personal data

We may share your personal data with trusted third parties, known as processors, who help us operate our business and deliver services. These processors act on our instructions and are required to protect your data. They may include:

Payment processors who handle card or electronic payments;
IT and software providers that support booking, record keeping, communication, or storage systems;
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that assist with financial administration;
Customer service tools used to manage correspondence and service records;
Professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, lawyers, or consultants where necessary;
Public authorities if disclosure is required by law, regulation, or court order.

We do not sell your personal data. We also do not share data with third parties for their own marketing purposes unless you have explicitly agreed to such use and we are permitted to do so.

7. International transfers

Where any processor stores or accesses data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal measures designed to keep your data secure and compliant with applicable law.

8. Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and to satisfy legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the context in which it is used. In general:

customer service and booking records are kept for a period necessary to manage the service relationship and resolve any follow-up issues;
financial and tax-related records are retained for the period required by law;
communication records may be kept where needed to evidence agreements, instructions, or complaints;
information no longer required is securely deleted, anonymised, or archived with limited access.

When determining retention periods, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure, and the legal obligations we are subject to.

9. Data security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, password protection, secure storage, staff confidentiality duties, and limited access to records. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to keep your information protected and review our safeguards regularly.

10. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These 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 ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction - to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to data portability - to request that certain data be provided to you or another controller in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to object - to object to processing based on legitimate interests or to direct marketing where relevant.
Right to withdraw consent - where we rely on consent, you can change your mind at any time.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner's Office if you believe your data has not been handled properly. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to address any issue promptly.

11. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidentally provided by an adult customer in the context of service delivery, such as access instructions or household details. Where that occurs, we will process the information only as needed and with appropriate care.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or how we process personal data. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so you remain informed about how we use your information.

13. Summary of our commitments

Harlesden Carpet Cleaners will only collect the data we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and protect it through appropriate safeguards. We will also respect your rights and handle your information with care, transparency, and accountability. This policy is intended to ensure that all customers in the area can understand how their personal data is used and the standards we apply when processing it.

Effective for all Harlesden Carpet Cleaners customers in the area.