Privacy Policy

Gardeners Hendon Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Hendon collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to our customers and prospective customers in our service area. It also explains your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and related data protection laws, and how you can exercise those rights.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Gardeners Hendon customers and prospective customers located in our service area, including individuals who contact us to request information, quotes, or services for gardening, landscaping, or related work.

Who we are and scope of this policy

Gardeners Hendon provides gardening and related services to residential and commercial customers in the local area. In relation to the personal data we collect and process, Gardeners Hendon acts as the data controller. This means we decide how and why your personal data is used and are responsible for ensuring it is handled in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

By using our services or contacting us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. We may update this policy from time to time, and any changes will apply from the date they are published.

Personal data we collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for the provision of our services and the operation of our business. The types of personal data we may collect include the following categories.

Identification and contact details such as your name, address, property address where the services are provided, and general contact details.

Service and contract information such as details of the gardening or landscaping services you request or receive, site notes, access instructions where provided, service frequency, quotes, invoices, payment records and related correspondence.

Communication records such as details of enquiries, complaints, feedback and other communications you send to us and records of our responses.

Usage and interaction data such as information about how you engage with us, for example when you make enquiries or request quotes, and any preferences you tell us about, such as preferred contact methods or service requirements.

We do not intentionally collect special categories of personal data such as health information, nor do we systematically collect data relating to children. If such information arises in the course of providing our services, we will minimise its use and protect it with particular care.

How we collect your personal data

We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us to request information, a quote or a service, when you enter into a contract with us, or when you communicate with us in relation to existing services. This may be in person, over the phone or through other communication channels.

We may also receive personal data from third parties where this is necessary for us to deliver our services, for example if a managing agent or landlord provides your basic contact details and service requirements so that we can attend a property. In such cases we will only use the information as described in this Privacy Policy.

Purposes and lawful bases for processing

We process your personal data only where we have a lawful basis for doing so under the UK General Data Protection Regulation. The main purposes and lawful bases are set out below.

To provide quotations and respond to enquiries. When you contact us to request a quote or information, we process your identification and contact details and service information so that we can respond and take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract. The lawful basis for this is the performance of a contract or taking steps prior to entering into a contract.

To provide and manage our services. When you become a customer, we process your personal data to schedule and deliver the gardening services, manage the customer relationship, handle payments, and communicate with you about the work. The lawful basis is the performance of our contract with you and our legitimate interests in running our business efficiently.

To manage billing and accounting. We process your personal data for invoicing, payment processing, and basic financial record keeping. The lawful bases are performance of a contract and compliance with our legal obligations in relation to accounting and tax law.

To handle queries, feedback and complaints. We process personal data contained in communications in order to monitor and improve our services and to resolve any issues raised. The lawful basis for this is our legitimate interests in ensuring customer satisfaction and improving our services.

To send service related updates. We may use your contact details to send you necessary information about your existing services such as appointment confirmations, schedule changes or important updates. The lawful basis is the performance of a contract and our legitimate interests in keeping customers informed about services they receive.

To promote similar services to existing customers. Where allowed by law, we may occasionally contact existing customers with information about services that are similar to those they have already received, provided they have not opted out. The lawful basis is our legitimate interests in promoting our services. You can object to this use of your data at any time.

Where we rely on our legitimate interests as a lawful basis, we always consider your rights and interests and will not process your personal data if those interests are overridden by your own rights and freedoms.

Data retention

We keep your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected and to meet our legal and regulatory obligations.

Customer and contract records, including basic contact details, service information, invoices and payment records, are generally kept for up to seven years after the end of the relevant contract or last service date, in line with tax and accounting requirements.

Enquiry records for individuals who do not become customers may be retained for a shorter period, typically up to two years, so that we can respond to any follow up queries and analyse the effectiveness of our services.

Where personal data is no longer needed for the stated purposes, we will securely delete it or anonymise it so that you can no longer be identified.

Data sharing and processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your personal data with third parties where this is necessary for the provision of our services, the operation of our business, or to comply with legal obligations.

Service providers acting as data processors may process personal data on our behalf strictly in accordance with our instructions. These may include companies providing administrative, bookkeeping, scheduling, or information technology services. We ensure that such processors are bound by appropriate contractual obligations to protect your data and to use it only for the agreed purposes.

Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers may have access to limited personal data where this is necessary to provide their services to us, for example in relation to accounting records or the handling of legal claims or disputes.

Public authorities, regulators or law enforcement bodies may receive personal data where we are legally obliged to provide it or where this is necessary to protect our rights or the rights of others.

Where personal data is shared with third parties, we limit the amount of data shared to what is strictly necessary for the relevant purpose and require that it is handled securely.

International transfers

Our core services are based in the United Kingdom. If we ever transfer personal data outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data, such as using countries that have been recognised as providing an adequate level of protection or implementing approved standard contractual clauses.

Your data protection rights

You have a number of rights in relation to the personal data we hold about you, subject to certain conditions and exemptions under data protection law.

You have the right of access, meaning you can request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of that data along with information about how it is used.

You have the right to rectification, meaning you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you.

You have the right to erasure, sometimes called the right to be forgotten, meaning you can ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances, for example where it is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected and there is no legal reason for us to retain it.

You have the right to restrict processing in certain circumstances, for example while we consider a request to rectify your data or where you have objected to processing based on our legitimate interests.

You have the right to object to processing that is based on our legitimate interests, including any direct marketing we carry out. If you object, we will stop processing your personal data for those purposes unless we have compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests or we need to continue for legal reasons.

You have the right to data portability in certain situations, allowing you to receive the personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format and to transmit that data to another controller, where technically feasible.

You also have the right to withdraw consent where we rely on consent as the lawful basis for processing, although in most cases we rely on other lawful bases as described above. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

Exercising your rights and complaints

If you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights or have questions about how we handle your personal data, you can contact us using the usual contact methods that we make available to our customers. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable data protection laws and may request additional information to confirm your identity where necessary.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority if you believe that your personal data has not been handled in accordance with the law. We encourage you to contact us first so that we can try to resolve any concerns directly.

Security of your personal data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage. These measures are designed to provide a level of security appropriate to the risk and are kept under review as our business and technology evolve.

Only those members of our team and trusted service providers who need access to your personal data for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy are permitted to access it, and they are subject to confidentiality obligations.