Gardeners Alperton Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Alperton collects, uses, stores and protects personal data about its customers and potential customers in the local area. It is intended to comply with the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. This Privacy Policy applies to all customers and prospective customers of Gardeners Alperton within our service area, regardless of how you contact us or use our services.

Who this Privacy Policy applies to

This Privacy Policy applies to all individuals who contact or engage Gardeners Alperton for gardening, maintenance, landscaping or related services in our service area. This includes existing customers, former customers and people who request quotations, make enquiries or otherwise interact with us in relation to our services.

Personal data we collect

We collect and process only the personal data that is necessary for us to provide and manage our services. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of information about you.

Identification and contact details, such as your name, home address, service address if different, and general contact details such as communication preferences. Service and contract information, such as details of the gardening or landscaping services you request, site notes, schedules and records of the work we have completed at your property. Billing and payment information, such as records of invoices issued, payment status and amounts paid. We do not store full payment card numbers or security codes. Communication records, such as notes of calls, and other communications between you and Gardeners Alperton relating to quotes, bookings, feedback or complaints. Technical and usage information, such as basic technical identifiers that may be captured when you visit our website or online pages, including date and time of access and pages viewed.

We do not intentionally collect special categories of personal data, such as health information, unless it is strictly necessary for a specific purpose that you have clearly explained to us and we have agreed to support. In such cases, we will handle this information with additional care and only with your explicit consent or where another appropriate lawful basis applies.

How we obtain personal data

Most of the personal data we process is provided directly by you when you contact us, request a quote, make a booking, or use our services. We may also obtain information from publicly available sources, such as property descriptions, in order to understand the nature of your outdoor space and prepare a quotation or plan our work. Occasionally we may receive your details from someone who refers you to us, for example a neighbour or friend who provides your name and contact details so we can discuss services with you. In such situations we will always inform you that we received your details in this way when we first contact you.

Lawful bases for processing

We process your personal data under one or more of the following lawful bases, depending on the circumstances.

Contract, where processing is necessary to provide a quotation, enter into a contract with you, or fulfil our obligations under an existing contract for gardening or landscaping services. Legitimate interests, where we have a legitimate business interest in processing your data and this interest is not overridden by your rights and interests. This may include planning our workforce and routes, maintaining records of past work carried out at your property, and improving our services. Legal obligation, where we must process certain data in order to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as tax and accounting rules. Consent, where we rely on your clear agreement for specific optional uses of your information, for example certain types of marketing. Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

How we use personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes, to the extent permitted by law.

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations for services you request. To plan and deliver gardening, maintenance and landscaping services at your property. To manage our relationship with you, including handling bookings, schedule changes, and customer service issues. To invoice you for work carried out and manage payments and accounts. To maintain accurate records of the services we have provided, including site notes that may help us deliver consistent service on future visits. To improve and develop our services by analysing general patterns and feedback in a way that does not identify individuals more than necessary. To send you relevant service related communications and, where permitted, limited marketing communications about services that may be of interest to you.

Sharing personal data with processors and other recipients

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your information with trusted third parties who act as data processors on our behalf. These processors are only permitted to use your data in accordance with our instructions and for specified purposes. They are required to keep your information secure and to comply with data protection law. Typical processors may include providers of cloud based storage or office tools, providers of accounting or invoicing systems, and information technology support services.

In limited circumstances we may also need to share personal data with other recipients acting as independent controllers, such as accountants or professional advisers where needed for financial, legal or regulatory purposes, or law enforcement or other authorities if we are required to do so by law or to protect our rights or the rights of others. In all cases, we only share the minimum information necessary for the relevant purpose.

International transfers

If any of our processors or service providers are located outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, or store data in those locations, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal data. This may include the use of standard contractual clauses or reliance on other recognised mechanisms that ensure an adequate level of protection in line with UK data protection laws.

Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and to meet any legal, accounting or reporting requirements. The length of time we retain data will depend on the nature of our relationship with you and the type of information involved.

In general, contact and contract information relating to the services we have provided to you is kept for the duration of our relationship and for a period after our last interaction, typically several years, to allow us to respond to queries, handle complaints and meet legal obligations. Financial and invoicing data is kept for the period required by law for tax and accounting purposes. Where we no longer need to retain personal data, we will delete it or anonymise it so that it can no longer be associated with you.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data, subject to certain conditions and exemptions.

You have the right of access, which means you can request confirmation of whether we hold personal data about you and obtain a copy of that data. You have the right to rectification, meaning you can ask us to correct or update inaccurate or incomplete personal information. You have the right to erasure, in some circumstances, which allows you to request that we delete your personal data where there is no longer a valid reason for us to keep it. You have the right to restriction of processing, where you can ask us to limit the way we use your data in certain cases. You have the right to data portability, which in some circumstances allows you to receive the personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used format and to transmit it to another organisation. You have the right to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including some forms of direct marketing. Where we rely on consent for particular uses of your data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, you can contact us using your usual contact route with Gardeners Alperton and clearly state which right you want to exercise and the information it relates to. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. We aim to respond to all valid requests within one month, or within any extended period allowed by law where a request is complex.

Security of your personal data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access. These measures include limiting access to personal data to those people who have a business need to know it and training personnel on their data protection responsibilities. While we strive to protect your personal data, no system can be completely secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of information transmitted to or from us, but we regularly review our security arrangements to reduce risks as far as reasonably possible.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, our data processing practices or applicable law. When we make changes, we will revise the date of the latest version and make the updated notice available to you. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we handle your personal data.

By continuing to use Gardeners Alperton services after any updates to this Privacy Policy, you acknowledge that you have been informed of the updated terms governing our handling of your personal data.