Privacy Policy - Crystal Palace Cleaners

This Privacy Policy applies to all Crystal Palace Cleaners customers in the area. It explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data when providing our cleaning services. We are committed to handling personal information in a fair, lawful, and transparent way, in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

Crystal Palace Cleaners provides domestic and commercial cleaning services to customers in the local area. In delivering our services, we may collect and process personal data about customers, property occupants, account holders, and other individuals where necessary to complete a booking, manage service delivery, or meet legal obligations.

We act as a data controller for the personal data we collect and determine the purposes and means of processing that data.

2. Personal data we collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for our services. The types of data we may collect include:

Identity details: name, title, and any information needed to confirm who you are.
Contact details: address, email address, and phone number.
Service details: booking preferences, service instructions, cleaning requirements, and property access notes.
Billing information: payment status, invoicing details, and records of transactions.
Communication records: messages, complaints, feedback, and notes from service-related conversations.
Operational information: service history, attendance records, and notes needed to deliver or improve our cleaning work.
Technical data: limited website or device information if you interact with our digital services, such as IP address or browser type, where applicable.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and lawful to do so, and we will only process it with an appropriate legal basis and safeguards.

3. How we collect data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quote or make a booking
contact us about a service
provide instructions, access details, or preferences
make a payment or request an invoice
submit feedback, a complaint, or a query

We may also receive data from third parties where appropriate, such as property managers, tenants, landlords, or payment providers, but only when this is relevant to the service and permitted by law.

4. Lawful basis for processing

We process personal data only when we have a lawful basis under GDPR. Depending on the situation, the lawful bases we rely on include:

Contract: to provide the cleaning services you requested, manage bookings, and fulfil our obligations to you.
Legal obligation: to comply with tax, accounting, record-keeping, and other legal requirements.
Legitimate interests: to operate and improve our business, communicate about services, prevent fraud, maintain service quality, and manage customer relationships, provided these interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
Consent: where you have given clear consent for a specific purpose, such as receiving certain marketing communications, and you may withdraw consent at any time.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we carry out an assessment to make sure our interests are balanced against your privacy rights. We always aim to use the least intrusive method of processing necessary.

5. How we use your information

We may use your personal data to:

manage enquiries and bookings
deliver cleaning services safely and effectively
record service preferences and instructions
issue invoices, process payments, and maintain accounts
respond to customer support requests
handle complaints or service issues
meet regulatory, tax, and accounting duties
protect our business, staff, and customers from misuse or fraud
improve service quality and customer experience

We do not sell personal data. We will only use data in ways that are compatible with the original purpose for which it was collected, unless we are required or permitted by law to do otherwise.

6. Data sharing and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us run our business. These organisations act as processors or independent controllers depending on the role they perform. We only share the minimum amount of data needed for the task.

Examples of processors may include:

payment service providers
invoicing and accounting providers
customer management or booking software providers
IT and cloud storage providers
email or communication service providers

Where required, we put written contracts in place to ensure processors handle personal data securely, lawfully, and only on our instructions. We may also share information with:

professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers
regulators, tax authorities, or law enforcement where legally required
property owners, managers, or tenants where necessary to carry out a service

We require all third parties to respect the confidentiality and security of personal data.

7. International transfers

Some processors may store or process data outside the UK. If this happens, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protections required by law.

8. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, including for legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and our lawful reason for keeping it.

In general:

customer service and booking records are kept for as long as needed to manage the service relationship and any follow-up issues
billing, payment, and tax records are retained for the period required by law
communications and complaints may be retained for a reasonable period to manage service quality, resolve disputes, or protect our legal position

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention practices. Retention is reviewed regularly to ensure we do not keep information for longer than necessary.

9. 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, staff confidentiality obligations, and limited access to data on a need-to-know basis.

While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the nature of the information we process.

10. Your rights under GDPR

You have a number of rights regarding your personal data. Subject to legal limits and verification of identity, these may include the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you
Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete information
Erasure of your data in certain circumstances
Restrict processing in certain situations
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
Data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means
Withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

We will respond to valid requests within the timeframe required by law.

11. Automated decision-making

We do not use personal data for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects. If this changes in the future, we will update this policy and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

12. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults and business customers arranging cleaning services. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidental to providing a service and is handled lawfully and with care.

13. 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 handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated.

If you continue to use our services after changes are made, you acknowledge the updated policy applies.

Summary of our approach

We collect only the data needed to provide cleaning services, use it under clear lawful bases, share it only with trusted processors or when required by law, and keep it only for as long as necessary.