Privacy Policy - Gardeners Millwall

This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Millwall collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in relation to our gardening services. It applies to all Gardeners Millwall customers in the area, including people who enquire about our services, request quotes, book visits, receive maintenance work, or communicate with us in any other way. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We respect your privacy and only use personal data where we have a valid lawful basis to do so. This policy is written to help you understand what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights you have over it.

1. Who We Are

Gardeners Millwall provides gardening and outdoor maintenance services to customers in the local area. In providing those services, we may act as a data controller for the personal data we determine the purposes and means of processing. This means we decide what information is needed to manage enquiries, deliver services, maintain records, and meet legal obligations.

In some circumstances, we may also use third-party service providers, known as processors, to assist us with administrative, technical, or operational tasks. These processors only act on our instructions and must protect your information appropriately.

2. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity details such as your name and, where relevant, the name of a business or property manager.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information including details of gardens, outdoor areas, work requested, service preferences, and notes relating to scheduled visits.
Payment and billing information where needed to manage invoices, receipts, and payment records.
Communication records such as messages, enquiries, feedback, complaints, and instructions.
Technical data if you contact us electronically, which may include device or usage information necessary for security and service administration.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is unavoidable and necessary for a specific lawful purpose. If such data is ever required, it will only be processed with an appropriate lawful basis and suitable safeguards.

Information you provide directly

Most personal data is provided directly by you when you ask for a quotation, book a service, give instructions, or make an enquiry. You may also give us information through emails, messages, written forms, or during service visits.

Information we may receive from other sources

We may occasionally receive limited information from third parties such as property managers, landlords, tenants, or payment providers where necessary to arrange or deliver services. We only accept such information where it is relevant and lawful to do so.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to arrange and deliver gardening services;
to manage customer accounts, scheduling, and service records;
to issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records;
to communicate with you about appointments, service changes, and related matters;
to keep our records accurate and up to date;
to handle complaints, disputes, and customer support requests;
to comply with legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
to protect our business from fraud, misuse, or security incidents.

We only use your data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that another compatible purpose is appropriate and lawful.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must identify a lawful basis for each type of processing. Gardeners Millwall relies on the following lawful bases:

Contract - where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as providing gardening services, handling bookings, or issuing invoices.
Legitimate interests - where we have a legitimate business reason to process data and your interests and rights do not override those interests, such as managing customer relationships, maintaining service quality, and protecting our operations.
Legal obligation - where processing is necessary to comply with laws, including accounting, tax, and record-keeping requirements.
Consent - in limited cases where we ask for your permission, for example for certain types of optional communications or uses not covered by another lawful basis. You may withdraw consent at any time where consent is relied upon.

We assess each processing activity carefully to ensure the chosen lawful basis is appropriate, necessary, and documented.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. However, we may share information with trusted processors and other third parties where necessary for the operation of our business and the delivery of our services. These may include:

IT and hosting providers who support secure storage, communication, or record management;
administrative service providers who assist with invoicing, scheduling, or customer management;
payment processors who help us handle transactions;
professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers where necessary for compliance and business administration;
public authorities where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights, property, or safety.

Any processor acting on our behalf is required to process personal data only under our instructions, keep it secure, and comply with data protection obligations. We take reasonable steps to ensure that data-sharing arrangements are governed by appropriate contracts and safeguards.

6. International Transfers

If any service provider stores or accesses data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses, or other legally approved mechanisms. We only permit international transfers where sufficient protection for personal data can be maintained.

7. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The retention period may vary depending on the type of information and the reason it was collected.

As a general approach:

customer enquiry records may be kept for a limited period after the enquiry ends;
service and account records may be retained while the customer relationship continues and for a reasonable period afterwards;
financial and invoicing records may be retained for the period required by tax and accounting law;
communications and complaints may be retained for as long as needed to resolve the issue and support business records.

When data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer be linked to an identifiable individual.

8. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures are designed to reflect the nature of the information we hold and the risks involved in processing it.

While no system can be guaranteed as completely secure, we work to maintain reasonable safeguards and restrict access to personal data to those who need it for legitimate business purposes.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These include:

Right of access - you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification - you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure - in some circumstances, you can ask us to delete your data.
Right to restriction - you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability - where applicable, you can request that we provide your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to object - you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent - if we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority if you believe your data has not been handled properly. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can try to resolve the issue.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

If we use digital tools that rely on cookies or similar technologies, these may be used for basic functionality, security, or service improvement. Where consent is required, it will be obtained in accordance with applicable law. If you do not wish to allow optional cookies, you can manage settings through your device or browser.

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 handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is made available. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.

12. Summary of Our Approach

Gardeners Millwall is committed to using personal data responsibly and only where there is a lawful and fair reason to do so. We collect the minimum information needed to provide and manage our gardening services, retain it only for as long as necessary, and ensure that processors act under appropriate safeguards. We also recognise and support your rights over your information.

This policy applies to all customers in the Gardeners Millwall area and is intended to provide clear, transparent information about how we handle personal data in connection with our services.