Privacy Policy - Blackfriars Carpet Cleaners

Blackfriars Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Blackfriars Carpet Cleaners customers in area, including anyone who requests a quote, books a service, communicates with us, or otherwise engages with our business.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Blackfriars Carpet Cleaners acts as the data controller for the personal information we process about our customers, prospective customers, and business contacts. This means we decide how and why your personal data is used. We take our responsibilities seriously and aim to process personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

2. The Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to provide our carpet cleaning and related services, manage customer relationships, and meet legal obligations. The information we may collect includes:

• Identity information such as your name and title.
• Contact details such as your address, email address, and phone number.
• Service information including property details, cleaning requirements, booking preferences, and service history.
• Payment information such as transaction details and payment status. We do not ordinarily store full payment card details where these are processed securely by payment providers.
• Communications you send to us, including enquiries, feedback, complaints, and notes from calls or messages.
• Technical information if you interact with our digital systems, such as limited device or usage data collected for security and functionality.
• Marketing preferences where you choose to receive service updates or promotional information.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you provide it voluntarily and it is necessary for a specific service-related reason, for example to help us understand an access need or a health-related request connected to service delivery. Where such information is provided, we will handle it with extra care and only process it where a lawful basis applies.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• To respond to enquiries and provide quotes.
• To book, schedule, and deliver cleaning services.
• To manage customer accounts and service records.
• To process payments, invoices, refunds, and related administration.
• To communicate about appointments, service changes, and customer support matters.
• To maintain business records and comply with legal, tax, and accounting obligations.
• To improve our services, manage quality, and handle complaints.
• To send marketing communications where you have consented or where permitted by law.
• To protect our business from fraud, misuse, or security threats.

We only use your data for reasons that are relevant, necessary, and proportionate.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the circumstances, the lawful basis may be one or more of the following:

Contract

We process your personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes at your request, arranging appointments, delivering carpet cleaning services, managing billing, and handling related customer service matters.

Legal Obligation

We may process certain information where required to comply with legal obligations, such as tax, accounting, regulatory, or record-keeping duties.

Legitimate Interests

We may process 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 maintaining service records, improving operations, preventing fraud, securing our systems, and managing customer communications.

Consent

Where required, we rely on your consent, such as for certain types of marketing communications or where you choose to provide optional information. You may withdraw consent at any time, and this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. The retention period depends on the type of information and the context in which it was provided.

• Customer and service records are kept for a period appropriate to managing the ongoing business relationship and resolving any issues that may arise.
• Financial and transaction records are retained for the period required by law and standard business practice.
• Enquiry records may be kept for a limited period if no service is booked, so we can respond to follow-up questions or maintain business records.
• Marketing records are kept until you opt out or withdraw consent, or until they are no longer needed.

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

6. Sharing Your Information with Processors

We may share your personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors on our behalf. These service providers only process data under our instructions and must keep it secure and confidential. Examples of processors may include:

• IT and software providers used for scheduling, customer management, and secure data storage.
• Payment processing providers used to handle financial transactions.
• Accountancy or bookkeeping providers supporting financial compliance.
• Communication service providers used to send messages, appointment confirmations, or service updates.
• Professional advisers, where necessary for legal or business administration purposes.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, to public authorities, law enforcement, or courts, or where necessary to protect our rights, customers, or business operations.

We do not sell your personal data.

7. International Transfers

Where any processor or service provider stores or accesses data outside the UK, we will take appropriate measures to ensure your personal data remains protected to a standard consistent with UK GDPR. These safeguards may include approved contractual protections or relying on adequacy decisions where applicable.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, password protection, secure storage, staff training, and limiting access to those who need the information for legitimate business purposes.

While no system can be guaranteed 100% secure, we work to maintain a level of protection that is appropriate to the nature of the data we process.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights regarding your personal data. These rights may be limited in some situations, but we will always consider and respond to requests in accordance with the law. Your rights include:

• The right of access – you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• The right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• The right to erasure – you may request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
• The right to restrict processing – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in specific situations.
• The right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• The right to data portability – you may request certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
• The right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond within the timeframes required by law and may ask for information to verify your identity. Your rights are important, and we will not charge a fee unless a request is clearly unfounded or excessive.

10. Complaints

If you are concerned about how we have handled your personal data, we encourage you to raise the issue with us so that we can try to resolve it. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

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 processing practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

12. Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to all Blackfriars Carpet Cleaners customers in area and to anyone whose personal data we process in connection with our services in that area. By using our services or contacting us, you acknowledge that your information will be handled in accordance with this policy and applicable data protection law.

We respect your privacy and handle personal data with care, transparency, and accountability.