Privacy Policy - Soho Carpet Cleaning

Soho Carpet Cleaning is committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data belonging to our customers, prospective customers, and other individuals who interact with our services. It applies to all Soho Carpet Cleaning customers in the area, as well as anyone who requests a quotation, makes an enquiry, books a service, or otherwise communicates with us in connection with our carpet cleaning services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of applicable data protection law, Soho Carpet Cleaning is the data controller in respect of the personal data collected and processed in connection with our services. This means we determine why and how your personal data is used. We are responsible for ensuring that your information is managed in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We are committed to the principles of data minimisation, purpose limitation, accuracy, storage limitation, integrity, and confidentiality. We only collect what we need, use it for specified purposes, and retain it for no longer than necessary.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity information: your name and, where relevant, the name of a business or property manager.
Contact details: address, telephone number, and email address.
Service information: details about the cleaning service requested, property access information, preferred dates and times, and instructions relevant to the job.
Transaction information: records of quotes, invoices, payments, and payment status.
Communication records: emails, messages, call notes, complaint details, and service feedback.
Technical information: limited device and usage information if you contact us electronically, such as IP address and browser type, where necessary for security or service delivery.
Special category data: we do not intentionally collect special category data. If such information is incidentally shared with us, we will handle it only where legally permitted and necessary.

We do not collect more information than is reasonably needed to deliver our services, manage our business, and meet legal obligations.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quotation or make an enquiry;
book, amend, or cancel a service;
provide instructions before or during a cleaning appointment;
communicate with us by phone, email, or message;
submit feedback, raise a complaint, or request support;
make a payment or receive an invoice.

We may also receive information from third parties where necessary for service fulfilment, such as property agents, landlords, tenants, or payment processors. In each case, we only use the information in ways that are consistent with this policy and applicable law.

4. Purposes and Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a valid lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Performance of a contract: to provide quotations, schedule and deliver cleaning services, manage bookings, and process payments where you have requested our services.
Legitimate interests: to operate and improve our business, respond to enquiries, maintain service records, prevent fraud, protect our premises and systems, and handle customer service matters. When relying on legitimate interests, we assess whether your rights and interests override our own.
Legal obligation: to keep tax, accounting, and other records required by law, and to comply with lawful requests from authorities where applicable.
Consent: where we rely on consent for a specific activity, such as sending optional marketing communications, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

We use your data for the following purposes:

providing carpet cleaning and related services;
issuing quotations, invoices, and receipts;
communicating about appointments, service updates, and aftercare;
handling complaints, disputes, and customer support;
maintaining business and financial records;
ensuring safety, security, and quality control;
meeting legal, tax, and regulatory requirements.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the original reason it was collected unless we have a valid lawful basis to do so.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who assist us in running our business and delivering services. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We only share the minimum information necessary and require appropriate contractual protections where processing is involved.

Categories of processors and recipients

Payment processors: to process customer payments securely.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers: to support invoicing, tax compliance, and financial recordkeeping.
IT and cloud service providers: to store data, support email systems, and maintain business software.
Customer management and scheduling tools: to manage bookings, service records, and communications.
Professional advisers: including accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where necessary.
Public authorities: where required by law, regulation, or a valid legal request.

All processors are selected carefully and are expected to process personal data securely and only on our instructions, unless they are acting as an independent controller for their own lawful purposes.

6. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, or equivalent protective measures. We take reasonable steps to make sure your data remains protected to a standard consistent with UK data protection law.

7. Data Retention

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

Quotation and enquiry records: retained for a limited period to manage follow-up and business administration.
Service and transaction records: retained for the period required to provide services, resolve disputes, and comply with tax and accounting duties.
Communication records: retained as long as needed to manage customer care and business continuity.
Consent-based marketing records: retained until you withdraw consent or opt out.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of it in a safe manner. Retention is reviewed periodically to ensure we do not keep personal data for longer than necessary.

8. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, staff confidentiality obligations, secure storage, and careful management of third-party service providers. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take data protection seriously and continually review our safeguards.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

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 circumstances, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction: you can request that we limit how your data is used in certain situations.
Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability: where applicable, you can request that data you provided to us be transferred to you or another controller in a structured 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 required by law, unless an extension is permitted.

10. Complaints and Supervisory Authority

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, we encourage you to contact us so that we can try to resolve the matter promptly. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

11. Children

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under the age of 16 unless it is necessary in connection with a service arrangement and handled lawfully. If we become aware that we have collected such data without appropriate legal basis, we will take steps to delete it.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or operational requirements. 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 personal data is handled.

Summary: Soho Carpet Cleaning explains how customer data is collected, used, shared, retained, and protected under UK GDPR, including lawful bases and your rights.