Privacy Policy - Hampton Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Hampton Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all Hampton Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who contacts us about our services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Hampton Carpet Cleaners is a service provider operating in the local area and processing personal data in connection with bookings, service delivery, customer support, payments, and business administration. For the purposes of data protection law, we are the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in the course of our operations. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing personal information.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information needed to manage our services, meet legal obligations, and improve customer experience. The personal data we may collect includes:

Identity details such as name and title.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details such as booking requests, property access instructions, cleaning preferences, and service history.
Payment information such as billing details and payment records.
Communication records such as emails, messages, call notes, complaints, and feedback.
Technical information such as device or usage information if you interact with our digital systems, where applicable.
Special instructions you may give us concerning health, allergies, pets, or property conditions where this is necessary for service delivery.

We do not intentionally collect more personal data than is reasonably necessary. We also do not seek to collect special category data unless it is provided voluntarily and is needed to carry out a requested service safely and properly. Where such data is supplied, we handle it with enhanced care and only where permitted by law.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To arrange and manage bookings.
To deliver carpet cleaning and related services.
To issue invoices, process payments, and manage accounts.
To communicate with customers about appointments, service updates, or issues.
To handle complaints, disputes, and customer support requests.
To maintain internal records and manage our business operations.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
To improve our services, quality control, and staff training.

We will only use your data for purposes that are compatible with the reason it was collected, unless we have a lawful basis to use it otherwise.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis before processing personal data. Hampton Carpet Cleaners relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. This includes handling bookings, providing quotes, and delivering services.

Legal Obligation

We may process data where required to comply with legal obligations, such as tax, accounting, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include improving services, managing operations, preventing fraud, and maintaining customer records. We always consider whether our interests are proportionate and whether your privacy expectations are respected.

Consent

Where required by law, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain marketing communications or for handling specific sensitive information you choose to provide. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties that help us operate our business. These parties act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service they provide. Processors only handle data on our instructions and are required to protect it appropriately.

The types of processors we may use include:

Payment processors to handle card or online payments.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers for financial administration.
IT and cloud service providers for data storage, email, and system support.
Customer relationship and booking system providers for scheduling and service management.
Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, or legal advisers when necessary.

We may also disclose personal data to public authorities, regulators, or law enforcement if required by law or where it is necessary to protect our legal rights, the safety of individuals, or the security of our services.

We do not sell personal data. Where third-party processors are engaged, we require them to process data securely, use it only for specified purposes, and comply with applicable data protection obligations.

6. International Transfers

If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally approved mechanisms. We take steps to ensure transferred data remains protected to a standard consistent with UK GDPR requirements.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of record and the purpose for which it is held.

Customer and booking records are retained for as long as needed to manage the service relationship and resolve disputes.
Payment and invoice records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Communications and complaint records are retained to support customer service, evidence, and business continuity.
Marketing preferences are retained until you opt out or withdraw consent where applicable.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or archived in accordance with our retention practices.

8. Security of Personal Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from accidental loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff training, password protection, and regular review of systems and procedures. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to ensure a high standard of protection.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to conditions or exemptions in certain circumstances.

Right of access – you may request confirmation of whether we hold your personal data and ask for a copy.
Right to rectification – you may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – you may ask us to delete data in certain circumstances.
Right to restrict processing – you may request limited use of your data in some cases.
Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you may request your data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the timeframes set by law.

10. Marketing Preferences

We may send service-related messages where necessary to complete a booking or provide a service. We will only send marketing communications where permitted by law and, where required, with your consent. You may opt out of marketing at any time. Unsubscribing or objecting to marketing will not affect essential service communications.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data protection practices. Any updates will take effect when published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is handled.

12. Contacting Us About Your Rights

If you wish to exercise your rights, ask questions about this policy, or raise a concern about the use of your personal data, you may contact us using the relevant service channels provided at the time of booking or customer correspondence. We will handle requests in line with applicable data protection law.

Hampton Carpet Cleaners values your privacy and is committed to processing personal data responsibly, securely, and transparently. By using our services, you acknowledge that your information may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy.