Privacy Policy - Goddington Carpet Cleaners

This Privacy Policy explains how Goddington Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Goddington Carpet Cleaners customers in area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who have previously used our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Goddington Carpet Cleaners provides carpet cleaning and related cleaning services to homes and businesses in the local area. In this policy, references to we, us, and our mean Goddington Carpet Cleaners acting as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use. As a data controller, we decide why and how your personal information is processed.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for us to provide our services, manage our customer relationships, and meet legal obligations. The types of information we may collect include:

• Identity details such as your name and title
• Contact details such as your address, phone number, and email address
• Service details such as booking requests, cleaning preferences, property access instructions, and service history
• Payment information such as transaction records and billing information
• Communication records such as emails, messages, notes from phone calls, and customer feedback
• Technical or usage data if you interact with us through digital channels, including basic device and browser information where applicable

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided it voluntarily, or we are otherwise legally permitted to process it. We ask that you do not share sensitive information unless it is relevant to your service request.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• To provide quotations, confirm bookings, and carry out cleaning services
• To communicate with you about appointments, service changes, and customer support
• To process payments and maintain financial records
• To manage our business operations, including scheduling and record keeping
• To improve the quality of our services and respond to complaints or enquiries
• To comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory requirements
• To protect our business, customers, and staff from fraud, misuse, or other unlawful activity

We will only use your data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably believe we need to use it for another compatible purpose and the law allows it. Any such use will always be handled in line with data protection principles.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

• Contract — when processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as managing your booking and delivering cleaning services
• Legitimate interests — when processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests and your rights do not override those interests, such as maintaining records, improving services, and preventing fraud
• Legal obligation — when we must process data to comply with legal duties, such as tax and accounting requirements
• Consent — in limited situations where we ask for your permission, for example for certain marketing communications or optional data processing activities

Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. However, we may share it with trusted third parties where necessary for our business operations, service delivery, or legal compliance. These third parties act as either independent controllers or processors depending on the service they provide.

Processors We May Use

Processors are organisations that handle personal data on our behalf and only under our instructions. We may use processors such as:

• Payment processors to handle card or other payment transactions
• IT and cloud service providers to store records securely and support our business systems
• Scheduling or administrative software providers to manage appointments and customer records
• Accountants or bookkeepers to assist with financial administration and compliance
• Waste disposal or equipment service providers where operational support is required

We require all processors to take appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard personal data and to process it only in line with our instructions and applicable law.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims, or where needed to protect the rights, property, or safety of our customers, staff, or others.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. The retention period may vary depending on the type of information and why it was collected.

• Customer service and booking records are generally retained for as long as needed to manage the relationship and handle any queries or disputes
• Financial and invoicing records may be retained for the period required by tax and accounting law
• Communication records may be retained for a reasonable period to manage service history and resolve issues
• Data no longer required is securely deleted or anonymised

Where data is retained for legal reasons, we will restrict access to it and keep it securely for the minimum necessary period.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate security measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, restricted permissions, and staff awareness procedures. While we work to protect your information, no system can be guaranteed completely secure. We therefore encourage careful handling of any personal data you share with us.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limits and exceptions. Your rights include:

• The right of access — to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• The right to rectification — to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• The right to erasure — to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
• The right to restrict processing — to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases
• The right to object — to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
• The right to data portability — to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable
• The right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with data protection law. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request. In some cases, we may not be able to comply fully with a request if legal obligations require us to keep certain records.

9. Marketing Communications

We may contact you with information about our services where permitted by law. If we rely on consent, we will only send such communications where you have chosen to receive them. You can opt out of marketing at any time. We will always respect your choice and ensure that any objection to direct marketing is handled promptly.

10. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with applicable data protection law. This may include approved contractual protections or transfers to countries recognised as providing an adequate level of protection.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or the way we process personal data. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated to you. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how we use personal data.

12. How We Apply This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to all Goddington Carpet Cleaners customers in area, including anyone who requests a quote, makes a booking, receives a service, contacts us for support, or otherwise interacts with us in connection with our business. By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal data will be handled in accordance with this policy and the applicable data protection laws.

Summary commitment: We process personal data only when necessary, use lawful bases appropriately, retain information for limited periods, work with trusted processors under safeguards, and respect your privacy rights at all times.