Privacy Policy - Gardeners Tulse Hill

This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Tulse Hill collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Gardeners Tulse Hill customers in the area, including people who request quotations, book services, receive gardening work, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, you acknowledge that your information may be processed as described in this policy. We only collect data that is relevant and necessary for providing and improving our gardening services, managing customer relationships, and meeting legal obligations.

1. Who we are

Gardeners Tulse Hill provides gardening and related outdoor maintenance services to residential and commercial customers in the local area. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in relation to our customers, prospective customers, suppliers, and service users.

This policy applies to all Gardeners Tulse Hill customers in area, regardless of whether they contact us for a one-off service or ongoing work. It also applies to information collected through phone calls, emails, written requests, booking forms, and any other communication connected with our services.

2. Data we collect

We collect only the information needed to provide and manage our services. This may include:

Identity details such as name and title.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Property and service details such as garden size, access notes, service preferences, and instructions relevant to the job.
Payment and billing details such as invoice records, payment status, and transaction references.
Communication records such as messages, service notes, complaints, and feedback.
Technical information if you visit any online booking or enquiry tools, such as device data or basic usage information.
Special category data only where necessary and only if you choose to provide it, for example if you share information that may affect access, scheduling, or service delivery. We will handle this data with additional care and only where permitted by law.

We do not seek to collect unnecessary personal data. If we receive information that is not relevant to our services, we will limit its use or delete it where appropriate.

3. How we use personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotations and confirm bookings.
To deliver gardening services safely and efficiently.
To manage customer accounts, invoices, and payments.
To communicate about appointments, changes, or service updates.
To respond to enquiries, complaints, and requests.
To maintain internal records and service history.
To improve our services, planning, and customer experience.
To meet legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
To protect our business, staff, and customers from fraud or misuse.

We always aim to ensure that data is used in a way that is proportionate to the service being provided. Where possible, we rely on the minimum amount of data necessary.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each use of personal data. Gardeners Tulse Hill relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes handling booking details, service instructions, invoicing, and communication needed to complete the work.

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 record keeping, service improvement, fraud prevention, and responding to customer questions. We consider the impact on privacy before relying on this basis.

Legal obligation

We process some data because we are required to do so by law, such as for tax, accounting, insurance, and regulatory purposes.

Consent

Where consent is required, we will ask for it clearly and separately. You may withdraw consent at any time, and this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

5. Retention of personal data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or for as long as required by law. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the nature of the relationship. For example:

Customer and service records are kept for a reasonable period to support ongoing service, dispute resolution, and business administration.
Financial and invoice records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting rules.
Communication records may be retained for a limited time to help with service continuity and complaint handling.

When data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

6. Processors and third parties

We may share personal data with trusted processors who help us operate our business. These may include:

Payment service providers.
Accounting or bookkeeping providers.
IT and cloud storage providers.
Communication and scheduling tools.
Professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, or legal advisers.

Where we use processors, they act only on our instructions and are required to protect personal data and process it securely. We do not sell personal data. We do not allow processors to use your information for their own purposes.

We may also disclose data if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Gardeners Tulse Hill, our customers, or others.

7. Data security

We take reasonable and appropriate measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality expectations, and careful handling of records. While no system is completely secure, we work to reduce risks and respond appropriately if an issue arises.

8. User rights

You have rights under data protection law in relation to your personal data. These rights may include:

The right of access to obtain a copy of the data we hold about you.
The right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
The right to erasure in certain circumstances, also known as the right to be forgotten.
The right to restrict processing in certain situations.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests.
The right to data portability where applicable.
The right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

Some rights are subject to conditions and exemptions. If we cannot comply with a request in full, we will explain why where permitted by law. You also have the right to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has not been handled properly.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, services, or business practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review it periodically so they remain informed about how their data is handled.

10. Our commitment

Gardeners Tulse Hill values privacy and aims to treat every customer’s information with care, confidentiality, and respect. We use personal data responsibly, limit access to those who need it, and only keep information for as long as it is necessary. Your trust matters to us, and we work to ensure our data practices remain transparent, secure, and compliant with applicable law.