Privacy Policy - St Helier Carpet Cleaners

St Helier Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the St Helier area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when you use our carpet cleaning services, request a quote, make an enquiry, or otherwise interact with us. This policy applies to all St Helier Carpet Cleaners customers in the area.

1. Who we are

For the purposes of data protection law, St Helier Carpet Cleaners acts as a data controller in relation to the personal data we collect and use for delivering our services, managing bookings, handling customer communications, and maintaining business records. This means we decide how and why your personal data is processed, and we are responsible for ensuring that it is handled lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

2. Personal data we collect

We only collect information that is necessary for us to provide our services and run our business effectively. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity information such as your name and, where relevant, business name.
Contact details such as your address, telephone number, and email address.
Service information including property details, carpet or upholstery cleaning requirements, access instructions, and booking preferences.
Communication records such as enquiries, complaints, feedback, and correspondence.
Payment-related information such as payment status, invoice details, and transaction records. We do not store unnecessary card details unless required for a specific payment arrangement handled securely.
Technical data where you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address, browser type, and basic usage information, if applicable.
Special category data only where you voluntarily provide information that may reveal health, access, or vulnerability considerations relevant to service delivery, and only when strictly necessary.

We do not intentionally collect more data than needed, and we do not ask for personal information unrelated to the services we provide.

3. How we collect your data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quotation or make a booking;
contact us by phone, email, or message;
give instructions related to cleaning work at your property;
make a payment or request an invoice;
provide feedback or raise a concern.

We may also receive data from third parties where necessary for service delivery, for example from a property manager, landlord, letting agent, or another person arranging services on your behalf. In such cases, we will only use the information as permitted by law and for the purpose of carrying out the requested service.

4. How we use your personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide carpet cleaning and related services;
to confirm bookings, attend appointments, and deliver services at the correct location;
to communicate with you about your enquiry, booking, or service outcome;
to prepare quotations, invoices, and payment records;
to manage customer relationships and respond to complaints or queries;
to meet legal, tax, accounting, and record-keeping obligations;
to improve our services, processes, and customer experience;
to protect against fraud, misuse, or security risks.

We will only use your data in ways that are compatible with the original purpose for which it was collected, unless we have a lawful basis to use it for another purpose.

5. Lawful basis for processing

Under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, we must have a lawful basis before processing personal data. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract

We process your data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, booking services, completing cleaning work, and issuing invoices.

Legal obligation

We process certain data to comply with legal obligations, such as accounting, tax, insurance, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include managing customer enquiries, maintaining business records, improving our services, and protecting our business from fraud or misuse. We always consider whether such processing is proportionate and appropriate.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where you voluntarily provide information that is not strictly necessary for service delivery or where consent is required by law. If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

6. Data sharing and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These parties act as processors when they process data on our behalf and only according to our instructions. Examples may include:

IT and cloud service providers that store or support business systems;
payment service providers that process transactions securely;
accounting or bookkeeping services that help with financial records;
booking, administration, or communication tools used to manage customer requests;
subcontractors or technicians if they are needed to complete a service request;
professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where necessary.

We require processors to protect personal data and to use it only for the agreed purpose. We do not sell your personal data. We do not allow processors to use your data for their own marketing purposes unless you have separately agreed to that with them.

We may also disclose information where required by law, regulation, court order, or lawful request from a public authority.

7. International transfers

If any processor stores or accesses data outside the UK, we will take appropriate steps to ensure your personal data is protected to a standard that is consistent with UK data protection law. This may include the use of approved safeguards and contractual protections.

8. Retention of personal data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Customer service and booking records are generally retained for a reasonable period after the service is completed, to handle follow-up queries or complaints.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Correspondence may be retained for as long as needed to evidence communications or resolve disputes.
Data collected on the basis of consent will be kept only until consent is withdrawn or the information is no longer needed.

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

9. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include restricted access, secure storage, password protection, and staff awareness procedures. While no method of transmission or storage is completely risk-free, we work to keep your information as safe as possible.

10. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the lawful basis used and the circumstances of the request.

Right of access – you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – in certain circumstances, you may request deletion of your data.
Right to restrict processing – you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – in some cases, you may request that we provide your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To exercise your rights, you should make a clear request and provide enough information for us to identify you and respond appropriately. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request. We will respond within the time limits required by law unless the request is complex or numerous.

11. Automated decision-making

We do not use personal data for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects. If this changes, we will update this policy and provide appropriate information about the process.

12. Complaints

If you are concerned about how we handle your personal data, we encourage you to raise the matter so it can be reviewed. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

13. 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 updated version will apply from the date it is published. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically so you remain informed about how we protect your personal data.

Summary: This policy explains how St Helier Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects customer data, and sets out lawful bases, retention, processors, and user rights for all local customers.