Privacy Policy - Kingston Carpet Cleaning

Effective date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Kingston Carpet Cleaning customers in the Kingston area and explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data. 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.

By using our carpet cleaning services, requesting a quote, booking an appointment, or communicating with us in any way, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this policy. We only collect data that is necessary for providing our services, managing customer relationships, meeting legal obligations, and improving the quality of our work.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to all Kingston Carpet Cleaning customers in the area, including residential clients, landlords, tenants, property managers, and commercial customers who engage us for carpet cleaning, stain removal, upholstery cleaning, rug cleaning, and related services. It also applies to people who contact us for information, receive quotations, or book services on behalf of another person or business.

2. Personal data we collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide our services and run our business effectively. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of data:

Identity information: name, title, and, where relevant, business name.
Contact information: address, telephone number, and email address.
Service details: property access notes, appointment preferences, cleaning requirements, room details, fabric or carpet type, and any special instructions.
Payment and billing information: payment status, invoice details, and transaction records. We do not store card details unless this is necessary through a secure payment provider.
Communication records: emails, text messages, call notes, complaint details, and feedback.
Technical data: basic website usage information, such as pages visited or device identifiers, where collected through standard website tools.
Before-and-after service records: cleaning notes, inspection results, and images where needed to document service quality or resolve disputes.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you voluntarily provide it and it is necessary for a specific service matter. If such information is ever shared with us, we will process it only where permitted by law and only to the extent required.

3. How we use your personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotes, schedule appointments, and deliver cleaning services;
to manage customer accounts and maintain accurate service records;
to communicate with you about bookings, changes, or service updates;
to process payments, issue invoices, and keep financial records;
to respond to questions, complaints, or service requests;
to improve our services, training, and operational efficiency;
to meet legal, accounting, tax, and insurance obligations;
to protect against fraud, misuse, or misuse of services.

We only use your data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably need to use it for another compatible purpose and the law allows it.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each use of personal data. The lawful bases we rely on include:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, confirming services, carrying out cleaning work, and managing payments.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and those interests are not overridden by your rights. Examples include maintaining service records, improving operations, handling customer communications, preventing fraud, and resolving disputes. We always consider the impact on your privacy before relying on this basis.

Legal obligation

We may need to process and retain certain information to comply with tax, accounting, consumer protection, insurance, and other legal requirements.

Consent

In limited situations, we may ask for your consent, for example if we wish to use optional photographs or send certain marketing communications where consent is required. When we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

5. How we collect your data

We collect data directly from you when you complete an enquiry, make a booking, provide instructions, make a payment, or communicate with us. We may also collect information from third parties where necessary, such as:

property managers or landlords acting on your behalf;
booking platforms or referral partners;
payment processors;
publicly available sources, where appropriate and lawful.

Where we receive your data from another person, we will handle it in line with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.

6. Sharing your data and processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share information only when necessary and only with trusted service providers or other parties who assist us in running our business. These third parties act as processors when they process data on our instructions. Examples may include:

IT and cloud service providers: for secure data storage, email, and administrative systems;
payment processors: for handling card or online payments;
accounting and bookkeeping providers: for invoicing, tax, and financial record-keeping;
customer communication tools: for booking confirmations and service updates;
professional advisers: such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors;
subcontractors or operatives: where needed to complete a service you have requested.

We require our processors to protect personal data, use it only for authorised purposes, and apply appropriate security measures. Where a third party acts as an independent controller, we will only share information when there is a lawful and necessary reason to do so.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including satisfying legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and why it is held.

Customer booking and service records: retained for as long as needed to manage the service relationship and resolve any follow-up issues.
Invoice and payment records: generally retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Communication records: retained for a reasonable period to support customer service and complaint handling.
Images or inspection notes: retained only as long as needed for quality control, dispute resolution, or documentation.

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

8. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, staff training, and limited access to personal information on a need-to-know basis. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take privacy and data protection seriously and work to maintain a strong level of protection.

9. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to certain legal conditions and exemptions, you may have the right to:

Access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
Rectification: ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
Erasure: request deletion of your data in certain circumstances;
Restriction: ask us to limit how your data is used in some cases;
Objection: object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
Portability: request transfer of certain data in a structured, commonly used format;
Withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in line with legal timeframes. In some cases, we may need to verify your identity before we can act on your request.

10. Marketing communications

We will only send marketing messages where permitted by law. If you receive marketing from us and no longer wish to do so, you can opt out at any time. This will not affect service-related communications that are necessary for bookings, invoices, or support.

11. International transfers

Where personal data is stored or processed outside the UK, we will ensure suitable safeguards are in place so that your data remains protected to an adequate standard. Any such transfer will be carried out only where legally permitted.

12. Children’s data

Our services are not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidentally provided as part of a customer service interaction and there is a lawful basis to process it.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or our services. The latest version will always apply to your use of our services from the date it is published. We encourage you to review it periodically.

14. Summary of our approach

Kingston Carpet Cleaning is committed to using personal data responsibly and only when necessary. We aim to keep information accurate, secure, and retained for no longer than required. We use a privacy-by-design approach wherever possible and ensure that all data processing is proportionate, lawful, and transparent.

By choosing our services in the Kingston area, you can be confident that your personal data is handled with care and in accordance with applicable data protection law.