Privacy Policy - Monken Hadley Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Monken Hadley Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Monken Hadley Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including current, former, and prospective customers, as well as any person who contacts us, requests a quotation, books a service, or otherwise interacts with us in connection with our work.

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. This policy should be read carefully so that you understand what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, and what rights you have.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide our services effectively, manage our business, and meet our legal obligations. The categories of data we may collect include:

• Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, the name of a business or property manager.
• Contact details such as your address, phone number, and email address.
• Service information including details about the carpet cleaning services requested, property access instructions, preferred appointment times, and any special requirements.
• Payment information such as payment status, transaction records, and limited billing details needed to process payments and keep accounts accurate.
• Communication records including emails, messages, notes from calls, complaints, feedback, and correspondence about bookings or service issues.
• Technical information where relevant, such as basic website or email interaction data if you contact us digitally.
• Property-related information such as floor type, stain descriptions, cleaning history, and other details needed to assess the work safely and properly.

We do not seek to collect unnecessary personal data. We also do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to share it with us for a specific reason, for example if access arrangements or safety concerns require us to know additional information.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• To provide quotations, arrange appointments, and deliver carpet cleaning services.
• To communicate with you before, during, and after a job.
• To manage customer accounts, invoices, estimates, and payment records.
• To respond to questions, complaints, and service requests.
• To maintain accurate business records and improve our services.
• To comply with legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
• To protect against fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We only use personal data for purposes that are compatible with the reason it was originally collected. If we need to use your information for a new purpose, we will make sure that this is permitted under data protection law and, where required, notify you.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only when we have a valid lawful basis under the UK GDPR. The main lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract

We use your data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotations, confirming bookings, carrying out cleaning services, handling billing, and managing service-related communication.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information to comply with legal requirements, including tax records, accounting duties, and records needed for insurance or dispute handling.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include managing our customer relationships, improving service quality, maintaining security, and keeping internal business records.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example if you agree to receive optional marketing communications. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

We do not rely on consent where another lawful basis is more appropriate.

4. How We Share Personal Data

We may share personal data with trusted third parties only when necessary for the operation of our business, the delivery of our services, or compliance with the law. These third parties may act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers.

• Payment providers to process card or electronic payments.
• Accounting and bookkeeping processors to support invoicing, financial records, and tax compliance.
• IT and storage providers that host email, file storage, scheduling, or business systems.
• Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where needed.
• Public authorities where disclosure is required by law or necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

We do not sell personal data. Any sharing is limited to what is reasonably necessary and subject to appropriate safeguards.

5. Processors and Safeguards

Where we use data processors, they are required to process personal data only on our instructions and to protect it using appropriate technical and organisational measures. We take steps to ensure that processors are reputable and that they handle data securely and lawfully.

Examples of safeguards may include access controls, password protection, secure storage, encryption where appropriate, staff confidentiality obligations, and backup procedures. We seek to ensure that personal data is protected against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure.

If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place so that your information remains protected to an adequate standard.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, insurance, or reporting requirements. The length of retention depends on the type of data and the reason it is held.

• Customer and service records are normally retained for a reasonable period after the service has been completed, so we can handle follow-up queries, complaints, or repeat bookings.
• Financial records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting law.
• Communication records may be retained for a shorter or longer period depending on their relevance to service management, dispute resolution, or legal obligations.
• Marketing preferences are retained until you opt out or withdraw consent.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so it can no longer identify you.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limits in some situations, but we will always consider and respond to requests appropriately.

Right of Access

You have the right to ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you and information about how we use it.

Right to Rectification

You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

Right to Erasure

In certain circumstances, you may ask us to delete your personal data.

Right to Restrict Processing

You can request that we limit the way we use your data in some cases.

Right to Object

You may object to processing based on legitimate interests or to direct marketing.

Right to Data Portability

Where applicable, you may request that data provided to us is transferred to you or another organisation in a structured, commonly used format.

Right to Withdraw Consent

If we process your information based on consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time.

We will not treat you unfairly for exercising your rights. However, some requests may be limited where we must retain information to comply with the law or for legitimate business purposes.

8. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use digital tools that rely on cookies or similar technologies, they will only be used where necessary for functionality, performance, or analytics, and only in line with applicable law. Where consent is required, you will be given appropriate choices.

9. Security

We take the security of your data seriously. Measures may include secure devices, restricted access to records, careful handling of paperwork, and staff awareness of confidentiality responsibilities. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we aim to use reasonable and proportionate protections at all times.

We encourage customers to provide only the information needed for service delivery and to notify us if their contact details change.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, regulation, our services, or the way we process personal data. The latest version will always govern how we handle personal data from the date it is published or otherwise communicated.

11. Summary of Our Commitments

• We collect only the personal data needed to deliver services and manage our business.
• We process data on lawful bases such as contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and consent where appropriate.
• We retain data only for as long as necessary.
• We use trusted processors and require them to protect your information.
• We respect your rights and aim to respond to requests promptly and fairly.

By using our services, requesting a quote, or booking a cleaning appointment, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy.