Privacy Policy - Cleaners SE5

This Privacy Policy applies to all Cleaners SE5 customers in the area. It explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data when you use our cleaning services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Cleaners SE5 provides residential and commercial cleaning services to customers in the SE5 area. In providing our services, we may need to process personal data about clients, property occupants, booking contacts, and, where relevant, other individuals connected to an appointment or contract. This policy applies to all customers, prospective customers, and service users in our area of operation.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for legitimate business and service-related purposes. The information we may collect includes:

Identity details: name, title, and, where needed, account or customer reference information.
Contact details: address, email address, telephone number, and preferred communication method.
Booking and service information: cleaning instructions, property access notes, service preferences, appointment history, and records of completed work.
Payment-related information: billing details, transaction status, and invoice records. We do not store card details unless a secure payment provider requires limited data to complete a transaction.
Communication records: messages, calls, complaints, feedback, and service enquiries.
Technical information: basic device or browser data if supplied through digital booking or enquiry systems, such as IP address or session logs.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it yourself. Special category data includes information about health, religion, ethnicity, or similar sensitive matters. If such information is ever needed for a specific reason, we will only process it where the law allows and where appropriate safeguards are in place.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to provide and manage our cleaning services effectively. This may include:

arranging bookings and managing appointments;
delivering cleaning services at the correct location and time;
responding to enquiries and customer requests;
issuing quotes, invoices, and payment confirmations;
handling complaints, disputes, or service issues;
maintaining business records and service histories;
improving service quality and customer experience;
meeting legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
protecting our staff, customers, property, and business from misuse or fraud.

We only use personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that we need to use it for another compatible purpose that is permitted by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only when we have a valid lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the context, our lawful bases include:

Contract: we process data to provide a quote, manage a booking, deliver cleaning services, and complete related administrative tasks.
Legitimate interests: we may process data to improve our services, manage customer relationships, prevent fraud, maintain records, and protect our business interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
Legal obligation: we may process and retain certain information to comply with tax, accounting, employment, insurance, or other legal requirements.
Consent: in limited situations, we rely on your consent, for example if you voluntarily agree to receive certain types of marketing messages. You may withdraw consent at any time.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we assess whether our interests are necessary and balanced against your privacy rights. If the balance changes, we will review our approach.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. These recipients act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We only share what is necessary and only when there is a valid reason to do so.

Processors may include:

Booking and administration providers: systems used to schedule appointments, manage enquiries, or store customer records.
Payment processors: third parties that handle invoicing, card payments, direct debit arrangements, or transaction verification.
IT and cloud storage providers: services used to securely store files, messages, or operational records.
Customer communication tools: providers that support email, messaging, or service notifications.
Professional advisers: accountants, auditors, insurers, and legal advisers where required.

We require processors to follow appropriate security standards and to use personal data only according to our instructions and applicable law. We do not sell personal data.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, or as required by law. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the reason for processing.

Booking and service records: retained for as long as needed to manage the customer relationship and handle follow-up issues.
Financial and accounting records: kept for the period required by tax and accounting legislation.
Complaints and dispute records: retained for a reasonable period to resolve issues and demonstrate compliance.
Marketing preferences: retained until you withdraw consent or object, where applicable.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices. We review retention needs periodically to ensure we do not keep data for longer than necessary.

7. 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 access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of our data handling practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to reduce risks and respond promptly if an incident occurs.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights regarding your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal exceptions or conditions, but we will always assess requests carefully and respond appropriately.

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: in some cases, you may ask us to delete your personal data.
Right to restriction: you can request limited use of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to object: you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or to direct marketing.
Right to data portability: where applicable, you may ask for data you provided to us in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent: if we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. This is to protect your privacy and prevent unauthorised disclosure.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults who arrange cleaning services on behalf of themselves or their household or business. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidentally included in service instructions or communication. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without a lawful reason, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

10. International Transfers

Where any processor or system stores data outside the UK, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place before transfer takes place. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, contractual protections, or other legally recognised mechanisms designed to protect your information.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect legal, operational, or service changes. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review the policy periodically to stay informed about how their data is handled.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Cleaners SE5 is committed to protecting customer privacy, processing personal data lawfully, and using information only when necessary to provide safe and reliable cleaning services. We aim to be transparent about what we collect, why we collect it, who may process it, and how long we keep it. If we process your personal information, we will do so with care, proportionality, and respect for your rights.

This policy is designed to support GDPR-compliant handling of customer data for all Cleaners SE5 customers in the area.