Hook Carpet Cleaners Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Hook Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores and protects personal data belonging to its customers and prospective customers in our service area. It also explains your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the EU General Data Protection Regulation where relevant, and applicable data protection laws. This Privacy Policy applies to all Hook Carpet Cleaners customers and individuals who contact or engage with our services in our operating area.
Data Controller
Hook Carpet Cleaners is the data controller responsible for determining how and why your personal data is processed in connection with our carpet cleaning and related services. Where we use third party service providers to process personal data on our behalf, they act as data processors and must follow our instructions and comply with applicable data protection laws.
Personal Data We Collect
We only collect personal data that is necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. The types of personal data we may collect include the following categories.
Identity information such as name and, where relevant, business name or job title for commercial customers.
Contact details such as service address, billing address, and general correspondence information necessary to arrange and deliver our services.
Service and appointment information such as details of the property areas to be cleaned, any relevant access instructions you choose to provide, dates and times of visits, and records of services provided.
Billing and payment information such as payment status, amounts charged, and related transaction records. We do not retain full payment card details when using third party payment processors, and any such data is handled in accordance with their security procedures.
Communication information including enquiries, quotes, feedback, and any correspondence you have with us by phone, text message, post, or digital communication channels.
Technical and usage information where applicable, such as basic website usage data or information you provide via online forms, to allow us to respond to your requests and improve our services.
How We Collect Personal Data
We collect personal data in the following ways.
Directly from you when you contact us to request a quote, make a booking, ask a question, or provide feedback about our services.
During the provision of services when we visit your property and record details required to complete the job and maintain accurate service records.
From third parties where you have asked someone else to contact us on your behalf, or where we receive limited information via referrals or recommendations, for example name and contact details in order to provide a quote.
Automatically through our website to the extent that basic technical information is collected to operate and secure the website, and to support online forms that you choose to complete.
Lawful Basis for Processing
We process your personal data only when we have a lawful basis under data protection law. The main lawful bases we rely on are the following.
Performance of a contract. We process personal data to provide quotes, accept bookings, deliver carpet cleaning and related services, take payment, and manage your account or booking. Without this information we would be unable to fulfil our contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract.
Legitimate interests. We process personal data for our legitimate business interests, for example to manage our relationship with you, plan and improve our services, handle enquiries and complaints, keep appropriate business records, and protect our rights. We always balance these interests against your rights and freedoms.
Legal obligations. We process personal data where necessary to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as tax and accounting rules, record keeping duties, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.
Consent. In some situations, such as certain types of direct marketing or where we wish to use optional cookies or similar technologies on our website, we may rely on your consent. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time, and this will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before it was withdrawn.
How We Use Your Personal Data
We use the personal data we collect for the purposes set out below.
To provide carpet cleaning and related services, including scheduling appointments, accessing your property as agreed, carrying out the work, and issuing invoices.
To communicate with you about quotes, bookings, changes to appointments, service recommendations, and responses to your enquiries.
To manage our business operations, such as customer service, quality control, staff training, and internal reporting.
To maintain financial and service records for accounting, taxation, and audit purposes, and to manage payments and refunds.
To send you relevant information about our services or special offers, where permitted by law and, where required, with your consent. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time.
To protect our business, staff, and customers, including the prevention and detection of fraud, misuse of services, or other unlawful activities.
Data Sharing and Processors
We may share your personal data with trusted third parties who act as data processors on our behalf. These may include service providers who support our operations, such as companies that provide booking administration tools, payment processing services, accounting or invoicing systems, secure data storage, and information technology support.
We only share the personal data necessary for these providers to perform their services. They are not allowed to use your data for their own purposes, must keep it secure, and must process it in accordance with our instructions and applicable data protection law.
We may also share personal data with professional advisers, such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary for legitimate business purposes and legal obligations, and with public authorities or regulators when required by law.
International Transfers
Where any of our service providers or systems involve the transfer of personal data outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include the use of adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses or equivalent legal mechanisms designed to protect your personal data and ensure that your rights are upheld.
Data Retention
We keep personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.
Service and billing records are typically retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws. Enquiry and quote information may be kept for a reasonable period to manage our relationship with you and to respond to any follow up questions or disputes.
Where we rely on your consent for marketing communications, we keep your contact details for this purpose until you withdraw your consent or object to further communications, after which we will stop using your data for marketing and, where appropriate, delete or anonymise it in line with our retention practices.
Security of Your Personal Data
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. These measures may include restricted access controls, secure storage practices, appropriate staff training, and the use of reputable service providers that maintain suitable security standards.
While no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, we are committed to regularly reviewing our practices and taking reasonable steps to safeguard your information.
Your Data Protection Rights
Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data, subject to certain conditions and exemptions.
Right of access. You have the right to request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and to receive a copy of that data, along with information about how it is used.
Right to rectification. You can ask us to correct or complete any personal data that is inaccurate or incomplete.
Right to erasure. In some circumstances, you can request that we delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer needed for the original purpose and there is no legal reason for us to keep it.
Right to restriction. You can request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations, such as while we are verifying its accuracy or considering an objection.
Right to object. You have the right to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, and the right to object at any time to the use of your personal data for direct marketing.
Right to data portability. Where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you may have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format and to transmit it to another controller where technically feasible.
Right to withdraw consent. Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or how we process personal data. Any updates will apply from the date they are published. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.
How to Raise Questions or Concerns
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how Hook Carpet Cleaners handles your personal data, or if you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, you may contact us using the contact methods made available on our website or through our usual customer communication channels. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority if you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data.
