Privacy Policy - Lampton Carpet Cleaners

Lampton Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in our area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Lampton Carpet Cleaners customers in area, including individuals who request quotes, book services, or otherwise interact with us in connection with carpet cleaning and related services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Lampton Carpet Cleaners acts as the data controller for the personal information described in this policy. This means we determine why and how your personal data is processed when you use our services. We are responsible for ensuring that your information is handled lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data that is necessary to provide our services, manage our relationship with you, and meet legal obligations. Depending on how you interact with us, this may include:

Identity details such as your name.
Contact details such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details such as the type of cleaning requested, property access information, appointment dates, and service preferences.
Billing and payment information such as payment status, invoice details, and transaction references. We do not store full card details where payment processing is handled securely by third-party providers.
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, complaints, feedback, and service-related correspondence.
Technical information such as IP address, browser type, and basic device data if you contact us through online systems that collect such information.
Service history including previous bookings, quotes, and notes relevant to customer service or repeat visits.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you have provided it for a specific reason. Special category data may include information about health, disability, or other sensitive matters. If such information is ever provided, we will only process it where there is a lawful basis and an appropriate condition under data protection law.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal information for the following purposes:

To provide carpet cleaning and related services.
To prepare quotes, confirm bookings, and carry out appointments.
To communicate with you about your service, schedule changes, or follow-up queries.
To process payments and maintain financial records.
To manage complaints, disputes, and customer support requests.
To improve our services, customer experience, and business operations.
To comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
To protect our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the original reasons for collecting it, unless we have a valid legal basis to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for every processing activity. Lampton Carpet Cleaners relies on the following lawful bases, depending on the context:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, taking bookings, completing cleaning services, and dealing with associated customer administration.

Legal Obligation

We may process data when required to meet legal duties, including tax, accounting, record-keeping, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process information where it is in our legitimate interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing customer relationships, handling service enquiries, improving operations, preventing fraud, and maintaining internal records.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you explicitly ask us to retain certain optional information or agree to specific marketing activity where applicable. You may withdraw consent at any time, and this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Sharing Your Information and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to provide services or operate our business lawfully and efficiently. These third parties act as processors when they handle data on our behalf, or as independent controllers where they determine their own purposes.

Processors may include:

Payment service providers who process transactions securely.
IT and hosting providers who support our systems, storage, and communications.
Administrative software providers used for scheduling, invoicing, and record management.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where necessary.
Subcontractors or operational partners who assist in delivering a service when required.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, only on our instructions, and in compliance with data protection law. We do not sell your personal data. Where we share information, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The retention period depends on the type of information and the reason for processing.

Customer service and booking records are generally retained for as long as needed to manage the relationship and provide follow-up support.
Financial and invoice records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Communication records may be retained for a reasonable period to handle disputes, service history, and quality control.
Security or incident records may be kept longer where necessary to investigate or defend legal claims.

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

7. International Transfers

If any processor or service provider stores or accesses personal data outside the UK, we will only allow this where appropriate safeguards are in place. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other legally approved transfer mechanisms. We take steps to ensure that your data remains protected wherever it is processed.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply in different circumstances and may be subject to legal exceptions.

Right of access – you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – you may request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to data portability – in some cases, you may receive your data in a structured, commonly used format.
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 may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the time limits set by law.

9. Security of Your Information

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and data minimisation practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take privacy and security seriously.

10. Marketing

We do not send marketing communications unless permitted by law. If we ever rely on consent for marketing, you will be given a clear choice and the ability to opt out. You can stop marketing messages at any time, where applicable, by using the method stated in the communication or by contacting us through the appropriate channel.

11. Children

Our services are intended for adults and business or household customers arranging cleaning services. We do not knowingly collect personal data directly from children. If we become aware that we have collected such data without appropriate authority, we will take steps to delete it where required.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or operational needs. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

At Lampton Carpet Cleaners, we aim to handle personal data with care, transparency, and respect. We collect only what is necessary, use it for clear and lawful purposes, retain it for appropriate periods, and share it only with trusted processors or when required by law. We also recognise and support your rights over your personal information. Our goal is to provide a reliable service while safeguarding the privacy of every customer in our area.