Privacy Policy

The Hyde 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 when you use our carpet cleaning and related services. It applies to all The Hyde Carpet Cleaners customers in area, including private households, landlords, tenants, businesses, and anyone who contacts us to enquire about our services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, The Hyde Carpet Cleaners acts as the data controller in relation to the personal data we collect and use. This means we decide why and how your personal data is processed for the delivery of our services, customer administration, and legal compliance.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

• Identity details: name, title, and any information you provide to help identify you.
• Contact details: address, phone number, email address, and property access instructions where relevant.
• Service details: booking information, service preferences, cleaning requirements, and notes about the property or items to be cleaned.
• Payment information: payment status, transaction details, invoicing records, and related financial information. We do not need to retain card details unless required for a secure payment process handled by a third party.
• Communication records: emails, messages, call notes, complaints, feedback, and customer service correspondence.
• Technical data: if you interact with any digital systems used in our business, we may collect limited technical information such as device type or basic usage logs.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and you choose to provide it, for example if you share information about allergies, health needs, or access requirements that affects how we deliver a service. Where such information is provided, we will handle it with extra care and only use it where lawful and appropriate.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
• to schedule, deliver, and manage cleaning services;
• to communicate with you about appointments, changes, or service issues;
• to process payments and issue invoices or receipts;
• to maintain business records and customer history;
• to handle complaints, disputes, or insurance-related matters;
• to comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
• to improve our services and customer experience;
• to protect our business against fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We will always make sure that our use of your data is fair, lawful, and transparent. We only process data when we have a valid reason to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the context, The Hyde Carpet Cleaners may rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract

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

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain certain records to meet our legal obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving service quality, maintaining internal records, handling customer enquiries, and protecting against fraud or misuse.

Consent

In some situations, we may ask for your consent, for example if we need to use optional information that is not necessary for the service. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

5. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and no longer than needed under applicable law. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the reason for holding it.

• Customer and service records: retained for a reasonable period after the service is completed in case of queries, complaints, or follow-up work.
• Accounting and tax records: retained for the period required by law.
• Communication records: retained for as long as necessary to manage customer relations and resolve issues.
• Marketing preferences: retained until you change your preferences or withdraw consent.

When personal data is no longer required, we will take appropriate steps to delete, anonymise, or securely destroy it. We follow a data minimisation approach, meaning we do not keep data just in case it might be useful later.

6. Processors and Third Parties

We may use trusted third parties to help us run our business. These organisations may process personal data on our behalf as processors or, in some cases, as independent controllers. We only use third parties that provide appropriate safeguards for personal data.

Examples of processors or service providers may include:

• Payment processors: to handle secure payments.
• Booking and scheduling providers: to manage appointments and service administration.
• IT and cloud storage providers: to store and secure business records.
• Communication tools: to send emails, messages, or customer notifications.
• Professional advisers: such as accountants, insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where necessary.

Where required by law or necessary to protect our rights, we may also share personal data with public authorities, regulators, law enforcement bodies, or insurers. Any sharing is limited to what is necessary and proportionate.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and limiting access to personal data to those who need it for legitimate business purposes.

While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we regularly review our practices and aim to maintain a level of protection that is appropriate to the risk involved.

8. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have rights under data protection law. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing. They include:

• Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restrict processing: to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
• Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to direct marketing where applicable.
• Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where the legal conditions are met.
• Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

If you exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the time limits required by law and will explain if any exemptions apply. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you are unhappy with how your data has been handled.

9. Marketing Communications

We may send you service-related communications that are necessary for your booking or ongoing customer relationship. Where we send optional marketing messages, we will do so only where permitted by law, and in some cases only with your consent. You can opt out of marketing at any time by following the instructions provided in the message or by telling us directly.

10. International Transfers

If any of our service providers store or process personal data outside the UK, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place to protect your information. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protections required by law.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults, though we may incidentally process information relating to children if it is necessary to complete a service at a family home or similar property. We do not knowingly collect children’s personal data for marketing purposes.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or operational needs. The latest version will always apply to the processing of your personal data. We encourage customers to review it periodically so they remain informed about how their information is used.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

The Hyde Carpet Cleaners respects your privacy and aims to process personal data in a lawful, transparent, and secure manner. We collect only the information we need, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, retain it only as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We also recognise and uphold your rights under data protection legislation.

This Privacy Policy is designed to apply to all The Hyde Carpet Cleaners customers in area and forms part of our commitment to responsible data handling. By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy.