Privacy Policy - Cleaner Merton

Cleaner Merton is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the Merton area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information, and it applies to all Cleaner Merton customers in the area. We process personal data in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

For the purposes of data protection law, Cleaner Merton is the data controller for the personal information we collect about our customers, potential customers, and any individuals who contact us in connection with our services. We are responsible for deciding how and why your personal data is used.

2. Personal data we collect

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

Identity data such as your name and title.
Contact data such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service data relating to the cleaning services you request, including service preferences, frequency, access instructions, and special requirements.
Payment data such as billing details and payment status, where applicable.
Communication data including records of enquiries, complaints, feedback, and correspondence.
Technical data where you interact with us through digital systems, such as IP address, browser type, or device information, if collected.
Usage and operational data related to service delivery, scheduling, and administration.

We only collect information that is relevant and necessary for providing our cleaning services, managing customer relationships, meeting legal obligations, and operating our business effectively.

3. How we collect personal data

We may collect your data directly from you when you make an enquiry, request a quote, book a service, communicate with us, or provide feedback. We may also receive information from third parties where needed for service administration, such as payment processors, scheduling systems, or business partners acting on our behalf.

In some cases, data may be collected automatically through digital systems used to manage bookings or website-related activity. Any such collection is limited to what is necessary for legitimate business purposes.

4. Why we use your data and our lawful basis

We will only process your personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so. Under GDPR, the lawful bases we rely on may include:

Contract – to provide cleaning services, manage bookings, issue invoices, and perform our obligations to you.
Legitimate interests – to manage our business, improve our services, respond to enquiries, keep records, prevent misuse, and maintain operational security, provided your interests and rights do not override ours.
Legal obligation – to comply with tax, accounting, insurance, and regulatory requirements.
Consent – where required, for example for optional marketing communications or other activities that need your explicit permission.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we carry out a balancing assessment to ensure that our use of your data is proportionate and respectful of your privacy.

5. How we use personal data

We may use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide, manage, and improve our cleaning services.
To communicate with you about bookings, changes, service updates, and customer support.
To process payments, invoices, and related financial administration.
To keep internal records and manage our customer relationships.
To meet legal, tax, accounting, or insurance obligations.
To prevent fraud, misuse, and other unlawful activity.
To analyse service performance and improve customer experience.

We do not use personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reason it was collected, unless we have a lawful basis to do so and have informed you where required.

6. Data sharing and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties that act as processors on our behalf. These processors only handle data according to our instructions and are required to protect it appropriately. Examples may include:

Payment service providers.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers.
Customer management and scheduling software providers.
IT, hosting, cloud storage, and security providers.
Professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, or legal advisers, where necessary.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, regulatory requirement, or to protect our rights, customers, staff, or business operations.

Where processors are used, we ensure appropriate contractual safeguards are in place to maintain confidentiality, integrity, and security of personal data. We do not sell personal information to third parties.

7. International transfers

If any personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will take appropriate steps to ensure that it receives a comparable level of protection. This may include the use of approved contractual safeguards or other lawful transfer mechanisms recognised under data protection law.

8. Data retention

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

In general, we retain:

Customer service records for as long as needed to manage the relationship and deal with queries or disputes.
Financial and transaction records for the period required by tax and accounting law.
Communication records for a reasonable period after the end of the service relationship.
Consent-based records until consent is withdrawn or the purpose no longer applies.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymise it.

9. Data security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include restricted access, secure storage, access controls, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of data handling practices.

While no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, we take reasonable and proportionate steps to safeguard the information we hold.

10. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These may include:

The right to be informed about how your data is used.
The right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
The right to erasure in certain circumstances, sometimes called the right to be forgotten.
The right to restriction of processing in certain cases.
The right to data portability for data you provided to us where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Rights related to automated decision-making, where applicable.

Some rights apply only in specific situations and may be subject to legal exceptions. If you wish to exercise any of your rights, we will respond in accordance with data protection law.

11. Marketing preferences

If we send you optional marketing communications, you can withdraw consent at any time where consent is the legal basis. We will not use your data for marketing where you have objected or opted out, as required by law.

12. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults and household customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for a service arrangement and provided by a responsible adult or authorised individual. If we become aware that we have collected data improperly, we will take steps to delete it where appropriate.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any updates will take effect when published. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their data is used.

14. Complaints and supervisory authority

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, you have the right to raise those concerns with us and to contact the relevant data protection authority if you remain dissatisfied. We aim to handle privacy matters fairly, promptly, and transparently.

This Privacy Policy is designed to ensure that personal data is handled lawfully, fairly, and securely. By using Cleaner Merton services, you acknowledge that your information will be processed in line with this policy and applicable data protection law.