Privacy Policy - St Giles Carpet Cleaners

Last updated: 11 May 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how St Giles Carpet Cleaners collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all St Giles Carpet Cleaners customers in area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who contacts us about our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to individuals who use, enquire about, or receive services from St Giles Carpet Cleaners. It covers people whose personal data we process in connection with carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, rug cleaning, stain treatment, odour removal, and related domestic or commercial cleaning services.

For the purposes of this policy, personal data means any information that identifies, or can reasonably be used to identify, an individual. This may include your name, address, contact details, service history, and payment-related information.

2. Personal data we collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for providing our services, managing customer relationships, and meeting legal obligations. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of data:

Identity details such as your name, title, and business name if applicable.
Contact details including telephone number, email address, and service address.
Service information such as the type of cleaning requested, property access details, appointment preferences, and notes needed to complete the job safely and effectively.
Payment information including payment confirmation, billing records, and transaction details. We do not intentionally store full card details unless required through a secure payment provider.
Communication records such as enquiries, complaints, feedback, and messages relating to bookings or services.
Technical data if you contact us electronically, which may include basic device or messaging information necessary to manage communication.
Special instructions you may provide, for example access requirements, allergy-related cleaning preferences, or details about delicate items in your property.

We do not seek to collect sensitive personal data unless it is unavoidable and relevant to a specific request or service issue. If such data is provided, we will handle it with additional care and only where there is a lawful basis to do so.

3. How we use personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotes.
To schedule, deliver, and manage cleaning services.
To communicate about appointments, service changes, and customer support.
To process payments, issue invoices, and maintain business records.
To handle complaints, claims, and after-service follow-up.
To maintain security, prevent fraud, and protect our business and customers.
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
To improve our services, administration, and customer experience.

We only use your data where it is appropriate and necessary for the stated purpose. We do not sell personal data.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each use of personal data. St Giles Carpet Cleaners relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, or to perform a contract with you. This includes managing bookings, carrying out cleaning work, and billing for services.

Legitimate interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include responding to customer queries, maintaining service records, protecting our operations, and improving our services.

Legal obligation

We may process and retain personal data where required to meet legal or tax obligations, such as financial recordkeeping, accounting, or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is needed for optional communications or for the use of certain special category information that you voluntarily provide. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Important: where we rely on legitimate interests or consent, we take steps to ensure your data is handled fairly and with respect for your privacy.

5. Sharing and processors

We may share personal data only when necessary and only with parties who help us operate our business. These third parties act as processors or, in some cases, as independent controllers.

Processors may include:

Payment service providers that securely process payments and help prevent fraud.
Booking, scheduling, or administration systems used to manage appointments and customer records.
IT and cloud storage providers that host business files, email services, or communication tools.
Accounting and payroll providers that assist with financial records and compliance.
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where necessary.

We require our processors to process personal data only on our instructions, to use appropriate security measures, and to keep the data confidential. Where data is transferred outside the UK, we will take appropriate safeguards to protect it in line with applicable law.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, court order, or regulatory request, or if necessary to protect our rights, customers, staff, or property.

6. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and to meet legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason we hold it.

Customer and booking records are retained for a period appropriate to service administration and any follow-up needs.
Invoices and financial records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Correspondence and complaints may be retained to evidence decisions, resolve disputes, and maintain service history.
Technical or operational records are retained only as long as needed for security, system administration, or business improvement.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it where appropriate. Retention is reviewed periodically to ensure we do not keep information for longer than necessary.

7. Your rights

As a data subject, you have rights under data protection law. Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

The right to be informed about how your data is collected and used.
The right of access to obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
The right to erasure in certain situations, sometimes called the right to be forgotten.
The right to restrict processing in certain circumstances.
The right to data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing where applicable.
Rights in relation to automated decision-making where such processing is used.

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 unless an exception applies.

Note: these rights are not absolute and may be limited by legal obligations or other lawful grounds for retaining and using the data.

8. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, restricted staff access, and careful handling of records.

Although we take reasonable steps to protect personal data, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security, but we work to reduce risks and respond appropriately to any suspected incident.

9. International transfers

Where personal data is stored or processed outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include approved transfer mechanisms and contractual protections designed to maintain a level of security and privacy consistent with UK requirements.

10. Changes to this privacy policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or service arrangements. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

11. Summary of our commitment

St Giles Carpet Cleaners respects your privacy and is committed to using personal data responsibly. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, share it only where necessary, and keep it only for as long as required. We also aim to ensure that all St Giles Carpet Cleaners customers in area can trust that their information is handled with care, lawfulness, and transparency.

In short: your personal data is used to deliver and manage our services, to meet legal duties, and to support legitimate business operations, while respecting your rights under data protection law.