Balham Carpet Cleaners Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Balham Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores and shares personal data in connection with our carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Balham Carpet Cleaners customers in our service area, including prospective, current and past customers who interact with us, request quotations or use our services.
1. Data Controller
Balham Carpet Cleaners is the data controller for the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. This means that we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data, and we are responsible for ensuring that such processing is carried out in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
2. Personal Data We Collect
We collect and process different types of personal data depending on how you interact with us. This may include:
Identification and contact details such as name, address, property details relevant to cleaning, and communication preferences. Booking and service information such as dates and times of appointments, type of service requested, notes about specific cleaning requirements, access instructions and feedback you provide. Payment and transaction details such as information necessary to process payments and records of payments made, though we do not store full card details if you pay by card through a secure payment provider. Communication records such as enquiries, emails, messages, and records of calls or conversations relating to bookings, complaints, or general questions. Technical and usage information such as basic device and browser information and details of how you interact with our website or online booking tools, where applicable and to the extent necessary for security and functionality.
3. How We Collect Personal Data
We collect personal data directly from you when you request a quote, make a booking, contact us by phone or other communication channels, or complete any forms we provide. We may also obtain information indirectly where you authorise someone else to act on your behalf, for example a landlord, tenant, estate agent or property manager who books our services for you, and from payment providers when confirming that a payment has been successfully processed.
4. Lawful Bases for Processing
We process your personal data only when we have a lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on the following lawful bases:
Performance of a contract: To take steps at your request before entering into a contract, such as providing a quote, and to provide and manage our services once you have made a booking. Legal obligations: To comply with legal and regulatory requirements, for example record keeping for tax and accounting purposes. Legitimate interests: To operate, manage and improve our business, including scheduling work, preventing fraud, ensuring the security of our systems and premises, handling enquiries and complaints, and maintaining service quality. When we rely on legitimate interests, we consider and balance any potential impact on your rights. Consent: In limited cases where required by law, such as certain types of marketing communications. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.
5. How We Use Your Personal Data
We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:
To provide our services, including handling enquiries, preparing quotes, scheduling and completing cleaning services, and managing follow-up work. To communicate with you about your bookings, changes to appointments, service updates and responses to any questions or complaints. To process payments, issue invoices and receipts, and maintain financial and accounting records. To manage our relationship with you, including customer service, handling feedback and resolving disputes. To improve our services, for example by reviewing feedback or analysing general trends in bookings. To protect our business, our staff and our customers, for example by preventing misuse of our services and maintaining the security of our systems and records. To comply with legal and regulatory requirements that apply to our business.
6. Data Processors and Third Parties
We may share your personal data with trusted service providers that act as data processors on our behalf. These processors are only permitted to process your personal data according to our instructions and must implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data.
Depending on how you interact with us, these processors may include providers of payment processing services, accounting or invoicing systems, booking or scheduling tools, customer relationship management systems, data storage and backup solutions, email or communication platforms and IT support and security services. We may also share data with professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers where necessary, and with public authorities or regulators where we are required to do so by law.
We do not sell your personal data. We do not share your personal data with third parties for their own independent marketing purposes.
7. International Transfers
Where any of our service providers or systems are located outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, we take steps to ensure that your personal data remains protected to a standard consistent with UK data protection law. This may include using service providers in countries that have been recognised as providing an adequate level of data protection, or putting appropriate safeguards in place such as standard contractual clauses approved by relevant authorities.
8. Data Retention
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected and to meet any legal, accounting or reporting requirements. In general, this means we keep customer and booking records for a period that allows us to manage ongoing or repeat services, respond to queries about previous work, and comply with applicable tax and accounting rules.
When personal data is no longer required for these purposes, we will either securely delete it or anonymise it so that it can no longer be linked to you. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the context in which it was collected. We may keep some information for a longer period if necessary in connection with potential disputes, investigations or legal claims.
9. Your Data Protection Rights
Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to certain conditions and legal limitations, but we will always respond to your requests in accordance with our obligations.
Right of access: You can request confirmation as to whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you. Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct or complete any inaccurate or incomplete personal data. Right to erasure: In certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your personal data. This may not be possible where we still need the data for legal or contractual reasons. Right to restriction: You can ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in specific situations, for example while we are assessing a request for rectification. Right to data portability: Where we process your personal data on the basis of your consent or for the performance of a contract and by automated means, you can request that we provide your data in a commonly used, machine readable format or ask us to transmit it to another controller where technically feasible. Right to object: You can object to processing that is based on our legitimate interests, including any direct marketing activities, and we will stop processing your data unless we have compelling legitimate grounds to continue or we need it for legal claims. Right to withdraw consent: Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
10. Security of Your Personal Data
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure. These measures include restricting access to personal data to staff and processors who need it for their work, using secure systems and storage solutions, and maintaining procedures designed to safeguard the confidentiality and integrity of your data.
11. Policy Scope and Updates
This Privacy Policy applies to all Balham Carpet Cleaners customers in our service area and to individuals who contact us regarding our services. It does not cover the practices of any other companies or individuals who may refer you to us or whose services you may access separately.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, our business operations or applicable law. Any changes will be effective from the date on which the updated version is made available. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we handle your personal data.
12. How To Raise Questions or Concerns
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we process your personal data, or if you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, you can contact us using the contact details published on our website or other official materials. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority if you are not satisfied with our response to your concerns.