Privacy Policy - Cleaners Bow

Cleaners Bow is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of every customer in the Bow area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information, and sets out the rights available to individuals under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy applies to all Cleaners Bow customers in the area, including anyone who requests, receives, or enquires about our cleaning services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Cleaners Bow acts as the data controller when we decide how and why personal data is processed in connection with our services. This means we are responsible for ensuring that all personal data is handled lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We only process personal data that is necessary to provide our services, manage bookings, communicate with customers, meet legal obligations, and improve our operations.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

• Identity data: name, title, and any details needed to identify you.
• Contact data: address, email address, telephone number, and service location.
• Booking and service data: details of requested services, appointment times, service preferences, access instructions, and records of completed work.
• Payment data: billing information, transaction history, and limited payment-related details. We do not store more payment information than is necessary to process transactions securely.
• Communication data: correspondence with us by phone, email, or message, including complaints, feedback, and customer support requests.
• Technical data: information such as device or browser details if you interact with our digital systems.
• Special category data: we do not normally collect special category data. If such information is ever provided to us inadvertently, we will only process it where a lawful basis exists and where it is necessary and appropriate to do so.

We collect personal data directly from you when you make an enquiry, request a quotation, book a service, or communicate with us. In some cases, we may also receive data from third parties where this is necessary for service delivery, such as a household member, property manager, or payment provider.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• to provide cleaning services and manage customer bookings;
• to confirm appointments and service arrangements;
• to issue invoices, receive payments, and maintain financial records;
• to communicate with customers about service updates, queries, or complaints;
• to maintain internal records and improve service quality;
• to comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
• to defend or establish legal claims where necessary;
• to prevent fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We process data only for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes. We do not use your personal information in ways that are incompatible with those purposes without a valid lawful basis.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Cleaners Bow relies on the following legal bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes handling bookings, delivering cleaning services, confirming service details, and processing payments.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data to comply with legal requirements, such as keeping tax records, accounting records, and other information required by law.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing our business operations, improving our services, preventing fraud, and responding to customer enquiries. We always consider whether such processing is proportionate and appropriate.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on consent, for example where we wish to send optional marketing communications. When consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Data Retention

We only keep personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including meeting legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the reason for holding it.

• Booking and service records are generally retained for a reasonable period after service completion to manage queries, complaints, and re-bookings.
• Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
• Customer communication records may be retained for a period necessary to maintain accurate business records and resolve disputes.
• Data collected based on consent will be kept only while consent remains valid or until it is no longer needed.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify an individual.

6. Processors and Data Sharing

We may use trusted third-party service providers, known as processors, to help us run our business. These processors only act on our instructions and are bound by contractual obligations to protect personal data and process it lawfully.

Processors may include:

• payment processing providers;
• accounting and bookkeeping services;
• IT, hosting, and software support providers;
• communication and email service providers;
• customer record management systems;
• professional advisers, such as accountants or legal advisers, where necessary.

We may also share data with public authorities, regulators, law enforcement bodies, or courts where required by law or where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal rights. We do not sell personal data.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard personal data against accidental 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 authorised individuals only. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we continually review and improve our security practices.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights regarding your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing.

• Right of access: you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure: you may request deletion of your personal data where there is a lawful basis to do so.
• Right to restriction: you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
• Right to data portability: you may request that certain data be provided to you or another controller in a structured, commonly used format.
• Right to object: you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Please note that some rights are subject to legal exceptions and may not apply in every case. If we cannot comply with a request, we will explain the reasons where permitted by law.

9. International Transfers

If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place so that the data remains protected to a standard consistent with UK data protection law. This may include using approved contractual protections or transferring data only to countries recognised as providing adequate protection.

10. Complaints and Further Information

If you have concerns about how your personal data is handled, we encourage you to raise them with us so we can address the issue promptly and fairly. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data processing practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is issued. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

Cleaners Bow respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal information responsibly, transparently, and in compliance with applicable data protection laws. This Privacy Policy applies to all Cleaners Bow customers in area and explains the standards we apply to every stage of personal data processing. By using our services, you acknowledge that your information may be processed as described in this policy, subject always to your legal rights and protections.