Privacy Policy - Chessington Carpet Cleaners

Chessington Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in connection with our carpet cleaning services. It applies to all Chessington Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including prospective customers, existing customers, and anyone who contacts us for information about our services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, Chessington Carpet Cleaners acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and process in the course of providing our services. This means we determine how and why your personal data is used.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process different types of personal data depending on how you interact with us. The data we collect may include:

Identity data, such as your name and title.
Contact data, such as your address, email address, and phone number.
Service data, such as details about the cleaning services requested, property type, preferred appointment times, and service notes.
Payment data, such as billing details and transaction records. We do not store full card information unless necessary for payment processing through secure systems.
Communication data, including records of emails, phone calls, messages, complaints, reviews, and feedback.
Technical data, where applicable, such as basic information about how you access our digital services, including device and browser details.

We generally collect personal data directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, ask a question, provide feedback, or use our services. In some cases, we may receive information from third parties, such as referral partners, payment providers, or publicly available sources when needed to verify details or manage our services responsibly.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data only where we have a valid legal reason to do so. The main purposes for processing your data include:

To provide and manage carpet cleaning services.
To respond to enquiries, prepare quotes, and arrange appointments.
To process payments and manage invoices.
To maintain business records and service history.
To handle complaints, queries, and customer support requests.
To improve our services, training, and customer experience.
To meet legal, accounting, and tax obligations.
To protect our business, customers, and staff from fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected unless we have a lawful basis to do so and have informed you where required.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each use of your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. This includes preparing quotes, confirming bookings, delivering cleaning services, and managing payments.

Legitimate Interests

We may process your data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include managing customer relationships, improving service quality, preventing fraud, maintaining business records, and handling service-related communications.

Legal Obligation

We process certain data where required to comply with the law, such as tax rules, accounting obligations, and record-keeping requirements.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example if we send certain marketing messages where consent is required by law. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These third parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service provided. We only share the information necessary for the relevant purpose and require appropriate safeguards.

Examples of processors or service providers may include:

Payment processors that securely handle transactions.
IT and cloud service providers that support data storage, email, and systems management.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that help with financial record keeping.
Booking and scheduling tools that support appointment management.
Professional advisers, such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary.

Where processors are used, they are only permitted to process data on our instructions and must protect it appropriately. We do not sell your personal data.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, by a court order, or to protect our rights, customers, staff, or property. If a business transfer occurs, such as a sale or restructuring, personal data may be transferred as part of that process, subject to legal protections.

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, or reporting requirements. The exact retention period depends on the type of data and the reason for processing it.

In general:

Customer service and booking records are retained for as long as needed to manage the service relationship and handle follow-up queries.
Financial and invoicing records are retained for the period required under tax and accounting law.
Complaint and dispute records may be kept longer where needed to defend legal claims or resolve issues.
Marketing preferences are retained until you withdraw consent or opt out, where applicable.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it in line with our internal retention practices.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and careful selection of service providers. While we work to safeguard your information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights regarding your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing.

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 can ask us to delete your personal data.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability – you may request your data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

To exercise your rights, you may contact us using the details provided through our usual customer service channels. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. We will respond within the time limits set by law unless an extension is permitted.

9. Marketing Preferences

If we send you marketing communications, we will do so in accordance with applicable law. You can opt out of receiving marketing at any time. Where we rely on consent, we will only send such messages if you have chosen to receive them. If we rely on legitimate interests for certain communications, you still have the right to object.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are not intended for children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary in connection with a customer’s service arrangement and lawful basis exists. If we become aware that we have collected data unlawfully, we will take steps to delete it where appropriate.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or service operations. Any 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. Summary of Our Approach

Chessington Carpet Cleaners handles personal data carefully and lawfully, using it only where there is a clear need and a valid legal basis. We collect only the information required to provide reliable cleaning services, manage customer relationships, and meet legal obligations. We work with processors under appropriate safeguards, keep data only as long as necessary, and respect your rights under data protection law. This policy applies to all customers in the Chessington area who use or enquire about our services.

This Privacy Policy is designed to be clear, fair, and compliant with applicable UK data protection requirements.