Privacy Policy - Docklands Carpet Cleaners

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

We are committed to handling personal data in a fair, lawful, and transparent way in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is designed to help you understand your rights and how we use your information.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the information we need in order to provide our services, manage our business, and meet our legal obligations. The type of personal data we may collect includes:

• Identity details such as your name;
• Contact details such as your address, telephone number, and email address;
• Service details such as information about the property, rooms, carpets, stains, materials, or cleaning requirements;
• Transaction details such as invoices, payment records, and service history;
• Communication records such as messages, notes from calls, and appointment requests;
• Technical information if you visit any digital platform we use, including basic device and usage data where applicable;
• Photos or inspection notes where necessary to assess the condition of carpets or confirm completed work.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you have chosen to provide it, or where required for a lawful reason. We ask that you avoid sharing unnecessary sensitive information with us.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• To provide carpet cleaning services and manage appointments;
• To assess cleaning requirements and prepare quotations;
• To communicate with you about bookings, changes, and follow-up service matters;
• To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain accounting records;
• To handle customer enquiries, complaints, and service updates;
• To improve our service quality, internal procedures, and customer experience;
• To meet legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations;
• To protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud or misuse.

We only use your personal data for purposes that are compatible with the reason it was collected. If we need to use your information for a new purpose, we will make sure there is a lawful basis for doing so.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis before processing your personal data. We rely on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, providing cleaning services, managing invoices, and communicating about service delivery.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where necessary to comply with legal requirements, such as record-keeping obligations for tax, accounting, insurance, or other regulatory matters.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data based on our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving our services, keeping internal records, preventing fraud, and responding to customer questions. When we rely on this basis, we consider whether the processing is necessary and proportionate.

Consent

In some limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example if you agree to receive optional marketing communications or if you provide additional information that is not required for service delivery. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

4. Sharing Your Information

We may share your personal data only when necessary and only with trusted third parties, known as processors or service providers, who act on our instructions. These may include:

• Payment processors that handle card or electronic payments;
• Accounting or bookkeeping providers that help with invoices and financial records;
• IT and cloud service providers that store or maintain business systems;
• Communication service providers that help us send emails, texts, or appointment updates;
• Professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, or legal advisers where needed;
• Public authorities if we are required to disclose information by law.

We require processors to protect your information and to use it only for the agreed purpose. We do not sell your personal data.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and in line with our legal and business obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason it is held.

• Customer service records are usually kept for the duration of our relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards to address queries or disputes;
• Financial and accounting records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws;
• Communication records may be retained for a limited time to support customer service and business administration;
• Marketing data is kept until you withdraw consent or object, where applicable.

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

6. International Transfers

Where any of our processors store or access data outside the UK, we will take appropriate safeguards to protect your information. These safeguards may include using countries with recognised data protection standards or approved contractual protections to ensure your personal data remains secure.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights regarding your personal data. These rights may be limited in some circumstances, but we will always assess and respond appropriately.

• Right of access – you can ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
• Right to rectification – you can request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data;
• Right to erasure – you can ask us to delete your personal data in certain situations;
• Right to restrict processing – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in specific cases;
• Right to data portability – you can ask for data you provided to us 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 may withdraw it at any time;
• Right to complain – you may raise concerns with the UK data protection authority if you believe your rights have been breached.

To protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. We will aim to respond within the time limits set out by law.

8. Security of Your Data

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to safeguard personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and restricted sharing of data on a need-to-know basis.

However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a data breach occurs that is likely to affect your rights or freedoms, we will follow the requirements of applicable law, including notifying the relevant authority and affected individuals where necessary.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults or for customers acting on behalf of properties or households. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children in a way that is unnecessary for our services. If we become aware that we have collected such data without an appropriate legal basis, we will take steps to delete it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or service arrangements. Any revised 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 we handle personal data.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Docklands Carpet Cleaners respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, share it carefully with trusted processors, and keep it only for as long as necessary. We also support your rights under data protection law and will work to address any concerns fairly and transparently.

This policy applies to all Docklands Carpet Cleaners customers in the area.