Privacy Policy

Hounslow Carpet Cleaning Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Hounslow Carpet Cleaning collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to our customers and prospective customers in the Hounslow area. It also explains your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our carpet cleaning and related services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. This policy applies to all Hounslow Carpet Cleaning customers and enquiries within our service area, whether you contact us by telephone, through online forms, or in person.

Who We Are

Hounslow Carpet Cleaning is a carpet and upholstery cleaning service operating in the Hounslow area. For the purposes of data protection law, Hounslow Carpet Cleaning is the data controller in relation to the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. As data controller, we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data.

Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data about you:

Identification and contact details: name, address, service address, billing address, and other contact details such as city or postcode information.

Service and booking information: details of your booking or enquiry, preferred dates and times, type of property, areas or items to be cleaned, and notes you provide about access or special requirements.

Communication records: information you provide to us when you contact us, including by phone, online enquiry forms, or in writing, along with any follow-up correspondence.

Transactional information: records of services provided, prices quoted, amounts paid, outstanding balances, and related invoicing details.

Technical and usage information: basic information about how you interact with our website or online forms, such as the pages you visit and the time and date of your visit. This may be collected using cookies or similar technologies.

How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data directly from you when you:

Request a quote or make an enquiry about our services.

Book an appointment with us.

Communicate with us by phone, in writing, or through an online form.

Provide feedback or make a complaint.

We may also receive basic referral information if you are referred by an existing customer or by a business partner, in which case we will treat that information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Purposes and Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process your personal data when we have a lawful basis to do so, as required by the UK GDPR. The main purposes and lawful bases are set out below.

To provide quotations and respond to enquiries: We use your identification and contact details, along with service information, to respond to your requests. The lawful basis is our legitimate interests in operating and growing our business and, where appropriate, taking steps at your request prior to entering into a contract.

To perform our contract with you: When you book a service, we process your personal data to manage your booking, attend your property, deliver the service, issue invoices, and handle payments. The lawful basis is the performance of a contract with you.

To manage customer relationships and support: We may process your data to handle queries, complaints, or feedback, and to keep records of our interactions with you. The lawful basis is our legitimate interests in providing good customer service and improving our services.

To send essential service communications: We may contact you to confirm bookings, notify you of changes, or provide important updates about your appointment. The lawful basis is the performance of our contract and our legitimate interests in ensuring the smooth delivery of services.

To send marketing communications: If you are an existing customer, we may from time to time send you information about similar services that we believe may be of interest to you. The lawful basis is our legitimate interests in promoting our services. You can opt out of marketing at any time.

To comply with legal obligations: We may process your personal data to meet our legal and regulatory obligations, such as record-keeping, accounting, tax requirements, and responding to lawful requests from public authorities. The lawful basis is compliance with a legal obligation.

To improve and protect our business: We may use aggregated or anonymised information, and where necessary limited personal data, to monitor usage of our services, improve our website, prevent fraud, and ensure the security of our systems. The lawful basis is our legitimate interests in running an efficient and secure business.

Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy or to meet our legal and regulatory obligations.

In general, this means:

Enquiries and quotes: If you do not proceed with a booking, we may retain your data for a limited period to respond to follow-up enquiries and to understand demand for our services.

Customer records: If you become a customer, we normally retain your records, including contact details, service history, and invoices, for as long as you remain a customer and for a period afterwards to respond to any queries, complaints, or legal claims.

Legal and accounting records: Certain records are kept for longer periods where required by law or accounting rules.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it or anonymise it so that it can no longer be used to identify you.

Data Sharing and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. We only share it when necessary and with appropriate safeguards in place.

Service providers acting as data processors: We may use third-party providers to support the operation of our business, such as IT and website hosting providers, booking or scheduling tools, payment processing services, and providers of customer relationship management or invoicing systems. These processors act on our instructions and are contractually required to protect your personal data.

Professional and business advisors: Where necessary, we may share limited personal data with accountants, legal advisors, or similar professionals for business administration, legal compliance, or in connection with disputes or claims.

Authorities and legal obligations: We may disclose personal data to law enforcement agencies, courts, regulators, or government bodies where we are legally required or permitted to do so.

In all cases, we only share the minimum amount of data necessary for the relevant purpose and we take steps to ensure that your data remains appropriately protected.

International Transfers

Where any of our processors or service providers are located outside the United Kingdom, or where data may be stored or accessed from outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include the use of standard contractual clauses or reliance on adequacy regulations, so that your data is afforded a level of protection essentially equivalent to that in the UK.

Data Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously. We implement technical and organisational measures to protect your data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, encryption where appropriate, and regular review of our security practices.

While we strive to protect your personal data, no system can be completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data, but we will act promptly to investigate and address any suspected data breaches.

Your Data Protection Rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights apply subject to certain conditions and exemptions. They include:

Right of access: You can request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of that data, along with information about how we use it.

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

Right to erasure: You can request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances, for example where it is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected, or where you withdraw consent and there is no other lawful basis for processing.

Right to restriction of processing: You can ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations, such as where you contest its accuracy or object to processing.

Right to data portability: In some circumstances, you may request that we provide your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format, or transfer it to another controller.

Right to object: You can object to our processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as our lawful basis, including for direct marketing. If you object to direct marketing, we will stop processing your data for that purpose.

Right to withdraw consent: Where we rely on your consent as the lawful basis for processing, you may withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

How To Exercise Your Rights

If you wish to exercise any of your rights, or if you have questions or concerns about how we handle your personal data, you can contact us using the contact details provided on our main customer communications or website. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner's Office if you believe that your data protection rights have been infringed. We would, however, appreciate the chance to address your concerns first.

Changes To This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or how we process personal data. Any changes will take effect when the updated policy is made available. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your privacy.