Privacy Policy - Gardeners St Mary Cray

Gardeners St Mary Cray is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the area. This Privacy Policy explains how personal information is collected, used, stored, shared, and protected when you use our gardening services. It applies to all Gardeners St Mary Cray customers in the area, whether you contact us for a one-off garden visit, recurring maintenance, landscaping work, or any related service.

1. Who we are

For the purposes of data protection law, Gardeners St Mary Cray acts as a data controller when deciding why and how personal data is processed. This means we determine the purposes for which data is collected and the methods used to process it. We take privacy seriously and process personal data in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Personal data we collect

We collect only the information needed to provide our gardening services safely and effectively. Depending on the nature of the service, we may collect the following types of data:

Identity details such as name and title
Contact details such as address, telephone number, and email address
Service information such as property access notes, service preferences, garden requirements, and appointment details
Billing and transaction information such as payment records and invoicing details
Communication records such as enquiries, feedback, and complaint correspondence
Technical data such as limited website or email interaction data, where applicable

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and you provide it voluntarily, for example where health-related access information is relevant to service delivery. In such cases, we will only process it where a lawful basis applies and additional safeguards are appropriate.

3. How we use your personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations
To arrange and deliver gardening services
To manage appointments, site visits, and service changes
To process payments and maintain financial records
To keep service and account records accurate
To deal with complaints, disputes, or customer support requests
To meet legal, tax, and regulatory obligations
To improve service quality, staff training, and business operations

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for a compatible purpose. If we need to use it for an unrelated purpose, we will explain the legal basis for doing so where required.

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Gardeners St Mary Cray relies on the following lawful bases where appropriate:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. This includes providing quotes, booking services, carrying out work, and managing payments.

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 managing customer relationships, maintaining service records, preventing fraud, improving operations, and handling basic business administration.

Legal obligation

We may process data where needed to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, and record-keeping requirements.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example if you choose to receive certain types of optional communications. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. How we share personal data

We do not sell personal data. We may share limited information only where necessary and proportionate, and only with trusted third parties acting as processors or independent controllers. These may include:

Payment service providers who process transactions securely
IT and cloud service providers who store or support our systems
Accounting and bookkeeping processors who assist with financial administration
Administrative or communication providers who support scheduling, email, or record management

Where a third party acts as a processor, they are permitted to process your data only on our instructions and must keep it secure. Where they act as an independent controller, their own privacy terms and legal obligations will apply.

We may also disclose personal data if required by law, to comply with legal proceedings, or to protect our rights, property, staff, or customers.

6. Processors and data security

Gardeners St Mary Cray uses processors only where appropriate written or contract-based safeguards are in place. We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, limited staff access, and appropriate staff awareness practices.

Although we take data security seriously, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security, but we do our best to reduce risk and respond appropriately to any incident.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and reporting obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the service provided.

Customer and service records are kept for the duration needed to manage the relationship and service history
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law
Communication records are kept for as long as needed to handle enquiries, feedback, or disputes
Consent-based records are retained until consent is withdrawn or no longer needed

When data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe manner.

8. Your data protection rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and any legal exemptions:

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 ask us to delete your data in certain situations
Right to restriction – you may ask us to limit how we use your data
Right to data portability – you may request transfer of certain data to you or another organisation
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

If you wish to exercise a right, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We will aim to handle requests within the time limits set by law.

9. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adult customers and property owners or occupiers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidental and necessary for service delivery. If we become aware that data has been collected inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where required.

10. Changes to this Privacy Policy

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

11. Summary of our privacy approach

Gardeners St Mary Cray only collects personal data that is necessary for legitimate business and service purposes. We process it on lawful grounds such as contract, legitimate interests, legal obligation, and consent where applicable. We use trusted processors, retain information only for as long as needed, and respect your rights under data protection law. Our approach is designed to be fair, transparent, and proportionate for every customer in the area.

Privacy and trust are essential to our service. Gardeners St Mary Cray is committed to handling personal data responsibly, securely, and in a way that respects your rights.