Privacy Policy - Canonbury Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Canonbury Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data in connection with our carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Canonbury Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who interact with us in relation to our services.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We also aim to ensure that personal information is kept secure, used only for appropriate purposes, and retained only for as long as necessary.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect and process personal data when you request a quotation, make a booking, use our services, communicate with us, or otherwise interact with Canonbury Carpet Cleaners. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information such as property access details, cleaning requirements, preferred dates, and service notes.
Payment-related information such as billing records and transaction references, where applicable.
Communication records such as enquiries, complaints, feedback, and service confirmations.
Technical information that may be collected through standard website or device logs, if applicable, such as IP address, browser type, and usage data.

We only collect data that is relevant and necessary for our business operations. Where we need special category data, for example if a customer voluntarily shares information that may affect access or service delivery, we will process it only where a valid lawful basis exists and appropriate safeguards are in place.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for legitimate business and service purposes. These purposes include:

Providing quotes, scheduling appointments, and delivering carpet cleaning services.
Managing customer accounts, bookings, and service records.
Processing payments and maintaining financial records.
Responding to enquiries and customer support requests.
Sending service-related messages, including confirmations, reminders, and updates.
Improving our services, training staff, and maintaining quality standards.
Meeting legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
Preventing fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We do not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was originally collected unless we have a lawful basis to do so.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for using personal data. Depending on the situation, Canonbury Carpet Cleaners may rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. This includes providing quotes, booking services, carrying out cleaning work, and issuing invoices.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where needed to comply with legal obligations, such as record-keeping, accounting, taxation, and responding to lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided that those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include maintaining service quality, safeguarding our business, handling routine customer communications, and improving operations.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where you choose to receive certain non-essential communications. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

We carefully assess the lawful basis for each processing activity to ensure it is appropriate and proportionate.

4. Sharing Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties, but only where necessary for legitimate business purposes and with appropriate safeguards. These third parties may act as data processors, meaning they process data on our behalf and under our instructions.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Payment service providers that handle transactions securely.
IT and cloud storage providers that host or back up data.
Booking or scheduling systems used to manage appointments.
Accounting and invoicing providers that assist with financial administration.
Communication service providers that support email, messaging, or operational contact.

We require processors to keep personal data confidential, implement suitable security measures, and process information only in accordance with our instructions. We do not sell personal data.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, to protect our rights or property, or to prevent harm, fraud, or other unlawful conduct.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, tax, and operational requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason it is held.

Customer booking and service records may be retained for a reasonable period after completion of the service for business administration and dispute handling.
Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law.
Enquiry records may be retained for a limited time if no booking follows.
Communication records may be kept to support customer service, quality assurance, and dispute resolution.

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

6. Security of Personal Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access restrictions, secure systems, staff awareness, and data minimisation practices.

Although we work to protect your information, no method of transmission or storage is entirely risk-free. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security, but we do take reasonable steps to reduce risk and respond promptly to any identified issue.

7. Your Rights Under Data Protection Law

If you are a customer or individual whose data we process, you have rights under UK data protection law. These rights may 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 information.
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 situations.
Right to object - to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing, where applicable.
Right to data portability - to request transfer of certain data to you or another organisation, where technically feasible.
Right to withdraw consent - where processing relies on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are concerned about how your personal data has been handled. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can address them promptly and fairly.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adult customers and property occupiers arranging cleaning services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidental and necessary in the context of providing a service. Where such information is encountered, we handle it with care and in accordance with data protection law.

9. International Transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place so that your information remains protected to a standard that is consistent with UK data protection requirements. This may include the use of approved contractual protections or transfers to countries with adequate protection.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data processing practices. The most current version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we handle personal data.

11. Summary of Our Commitments

Canonbury Carpet Cleaners is committed to processing personal data lawfully, transparently, and responsibly. We collect only what we need, use it for clear business purposes, retain it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where the law requires it. Your privacy matters to us, and we aim to uphold your rights at every stage of our service relationship.