Privacy Policy - Cleaners Richmond

This Privacy Policy explains how Cleaners Richmond collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with the services we provide. It applies to all Cleaners Richmond customers in the area, including anyone who makes an enquiry, books a service, receives a service, or otherwise interacts with us. We are committed to processing personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We encourage you to read this policy carefully so you understand what information we collect, why we collect it, and the rights you have over your personal data. By using our services, you acknowledge that your data may be processed as described below.

1. Information We Collect

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

• Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, company name.
• Contact details such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
• Service details such as property access instructions, cleaning preferences, appointment dates, service history, and notes relating to the work requested.
• Payment-related information such as billing records, invoice details, and transaction references. We do not store full payment card details if payments are processed by a third-party payment provider.
• Communication records such as messages, emails, complaints, feedback, and records of any customer support correspondence.
• Technical data such as basic device or browser information if you contact us electronically, where applicable.

We do not seek to collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and lawful to do so. If you voluntarily provide sensitive information, we will handle it with additional care and only use it for the purpose for which it was disclosed.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
• to arrange, manage, and deliver cleaning services;
• to communicate with you about bookings, access arrangements, changes, or service issues;
• to issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records;
• to deal with complaints, disputes, or service-related queries;
• to improve the quality and efficiency of our services;
• to comply with legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
• to maintain internal records and protect our legitimate business interests.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably need to use it for another compatible purpose and we have a lawful basis to do so.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Cleaners Richmond relies on the following lawful bases depending on the activity involved:

Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes setting up bookings, delivering cleaning services, managing appointments, and processing payments.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain information to comply with legal requirements such as tax, accounting, recordkeeping, and fraud prevention obligations.

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 service improvement, customer communication, internal administration, and business record management.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where you provide optional information or agree to specific marketing-related communication. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

We do not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with these lawful bases.

4. Sharing Your Information and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We only share data where necessary and require appropriate safeguards to protect it.

• Payment processors for handling secure transactions and payment verification.
• Accounting and bookkeeping providers for invoicing, financial reporting, and tax compliance.
• IT and cloud service providers for storing records, securing systems, and supporting our communications.
• Scheduling or booking tools that help us organise appointments and customer records.
• Professional advisers such as legal, insurance, or compliance advisers where needed.

We may also disclose data if required by law, court order, or to protect our legal rights, prevent fraud, or ensure the safety of our staff, customers, or property.

Where processors handle data on our behalf, they are bound by written contracts requiring them to act only on our instructions, implement appropriate security measures, and keep data confidential.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record and the reason it is held.

• Customer and booking records are generally retained for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
• Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
• Communications and complaints may be kept for as long as necessary to resolve the issue and maintain business records.
• Consent-based records are retained 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 it can no longer identify you.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data-handling practices.

Although we take data security seriously, no system is completely secure. If an incident affecting personal data occurs, we will act promptly and in accordance with our legal obligations.

7. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have a number of rights under UK GDPR. These rights may apply in different circumstances and may be subject to legal exceptions or limitations.

• 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 information.
• Right to erasure – you can request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in specific situations.
• Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests, and in some cases to direct marketing.
• Right to data portability – you can request transfer of certain data to you or another organisation where technically feasible.
• Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

We will respond to valid requests within the time limits required by law. To protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

8. International Transfers

Where data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it, such as approved contractual clauses or other lawful transfer mechanisms recognised by data protection law.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult in connection with a legitimate service requirement. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child unlawfully, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data-handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Cleaners Richmond is committed to processing personal data responsibly, securely, and only when necessary. We aim to be transparent about what we collect, why we collect it, who may process it on our behalf, how long we keep it, and what rights you have. Your privacy matters to us, and we will continue to handle customer information in a way that respects your legal rights and maintains your trust.