Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Stockwell

This Privacy Policy explains how Tree Surgeons Stockwell collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data relating to all Tree Surgeons Stockwell customers in the area. It applies to enquiries, quotations, appointments, work carried out, and any follow-up communications connected with our tree surgery services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to all Tree Surgeons Stockwell customers in the area, including individuals who request a quote, receive advice, book services, or have work completed by us. It also applies to people whose information is provided to us by a customer, such as property owners, tenants, managing agents, or authorised representatives. By engaging with our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide our services, manage our business, and meet legal obligations. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity data, such as your name and title.
Contact data, such as your address, phone number, and email address.
Property details, including the location of the site where work is requested or carried out.
Service information, such as the type of work requested, job notes, site conditions, and job history.
Billing and payment data, where required for invoicing, refunds, and accounting.
Communication records, including emails, messages, call notes, and feedback.
Technical data, if you interact with our systems, such as device or usage information captured by service providers.
Health and safety information, where necessary for risk assessments, access arrangements, or to protect people and property during work.

We do not seek to collect special category data unless it is necessary and you provide it voluntarily, or we are required to process it for safety, insurance, or legal reasons. We keep data collection proportionate to the service requested.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to:

respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
arrange and deliver tree surgery services;
manage customer accounts, bookings, and job records;
issue invoices, receive payments, and carry out bookkeeping;
maintain safety records, risk assessments, and service documentation;
handle complaints, enquiries, and post-service support;
improve our services, processes, and customer experience;
comply with legal, regulatory, insurance, and tax obligations.

We will only use personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible reason and that reason is permitted by law.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. We rely on the following lawful bases where appropriate:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotations, scheduling work, completing services, and managing invoicing.

Legal Obligation

We process data when necessary to comply with legal obligations, such as tax recordkeeping, health and safety requirements, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include managing our operations, maintaining service records, preventing fraud, and improving service quality. We balance our interests against your privacy rights before relying on this basis.

Consent

Where consent is required, such as for certain optional communications or specific uses not covered by other lawful bases, we will ask for it clearly. You may withdraw consent at any time, although this will not affect any processing already carried out lawfully before withdrawal.

5. Sharing Your Information

We may share personal data with trusted third parties, but only when necessary and only to the extent required for service delivery, compliance, or business administration. These parties may include:

Subcontractors or specialist contractors assisting with tree surgery services.
IT and data storage providers that support business systems, secure backups, or communication tools.
Accountants, bookkeepers, and payment processors for financial administration.
Insurers and professional advisers where needed to handle claims or legal matters.
Public authorities or regulators where disclosure is required by law.

All processors and service providers are expected to protect personal data appropriately and to use it only on our instructions. We do not sell personal data.

6. Processors

When we use third-party processors, we ensure they provide sufficient guarantees regarding security, confidentiality, and compliance with data protection law. Processors may store or handle data on our behalf for tasks such as email hosting, cloud storage, job management, document processing, accounting, and customer support systems.

Where required, we put in place written data processing terms that limit how data may be used, require appropriate security measures, and ensure personal data is returned or deleted when no longer needed. We monitor the use of processors to help ensure they remain compliant.

7. Data Retention

We retain 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 vary depending on the type of information and the reason for holding it.

Customer enquiry data may be kept for a limited period to respond to follow-up questions or provide a future quotation.
Job and service records may be kept for operational history, warranty handling, and evidence of work completed.
Financial records are generally retained for the period required under tax and accounting law.
Safety and legal records may be kept longer where necessary to defend legal claims or comply with obligations.

When data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so it can no longer identify you. Retention decisions are reviewed periodically.

8. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or alteration. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, backup arrangements, and staff awareness procedures. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we aim to use safeguards that are appropriate to the nature and sensitivity of the information we process.

9. Your Rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the following rights under data protection law:

Right of access – to request a copy of your personal data.
Right to rectification – to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – to ask for deletion of your data in certain situations.
Right to restriction – to request that processing be limited in some cases.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent.

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. Some rights may not apply in every situation, as exemptions and legal obligations can limit their use. You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data rights have been breached.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are directed to adults and property-related customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental to a job and necessary for safety, access, or lawful business reasons. If we become aware that we have collected child-related data inappropriately, we will take steps to delete or restrict it where required.

11. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent protective measures. We only permit international transfers where they are lawful and necessary for the services we use.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data protection practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is issued. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their information is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Tree Surgeons Stockwell respects your privacy and aims to process personal data responsibly, securely, and only when necessary. We collect information to provide tree surgery services, maintain records, and meet our legal responsibilities. We rely on lawful bases such as contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and consent where appropriate. We retain data only as long as needed, share it carefully with trusted processors, and uphold your rights under GDPR. This policy applies to all Tree Surgeons Stockwell customers in the area.