Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Downham

This Privacy Policy explains how Tree Surgeons Downham collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Tree Surgeons Downham customers in the area, including individuals who request quotations, book services, receive tree surgery work, or otherwise interact with our business. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Tree Surgeons Downham provides tree surgery and related outdoor services to domestic and commercial customers in and around Downham. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services.

This means we decide why and how your personal data is processed. We take our responsibility seriously and use appropriate technical and organisational measures to keep your data secure.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following types of personal data depending on how you interact with us:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as your address, email address, and telephone number.
Service information including job requests, site details, quotes, work instructions, and service history.
Payment and billing information where necessary for invoicing, payment records, or accounting purposes.
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, and complaint or feedback records.
Technical information such as basic website or device information if you submit an enquiry through an online form, where applicable.
Health and safety information only when it is relevant to carrying out work safely, for example access notes or hazard details.

We aim to collect only the information that is necessary for the purpose for which it is used. We do not intentionally collect more data than we need.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes, assess work requirements, and arrange appointments.
To carry out tree surgery and related services safely and effectively.
To communicate with you about your booking, works, changes, or follow-up matters.
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records.
To manage customer enquiries, complaints, and service feedback.
To keep business records and meet legal, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations.
To improve our services and maintain internal quality and operational standards.

We will only use your data for the purposes described above, or for compatible purposes that you would reasonably expect in the course of receiving our services.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for each use of personal data. Tree Surgeons Downham may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotations, scheduling services, completing work, sending invoices, and managing related customer administration.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where needed to comply with legal duties, such as keeping accounting records, tax records, or records required by health and safety or insurance obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is in our legitimate interests to run and improve our business, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. Examples include responding to enquiries, keeping service records, preventing fraud, and managing business operations. We always consider whether our interests are balanced against your privacy rights.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you ask us to use information in a particular way that is not covered by another lawful basis. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Sharing Your Information and Processors

We do not sell your personal data. We may share information only when necessary and only with trusted third parties who help us deliver our services or meet our obligations.

These may include:

Accountants for financial record keeping, tax preparation, and compliance.
Payment providers to process transactions securely.
IT and cloud service providers that store or support business systems, email, and data backup.
Insurance providers where required for claims handling or policy administration.
Subcontractors or specialist contractors assisting with specific parts of a project, where relevant.
Legal or regulatory bodies where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect our rights.

These organisations act as processors or independent controllers depending on the service they provide. When a processor is used, we require them to handle personal data securely, only on our instructions, and in line with data protection law. We take care to choose processors that offer appropriate safeguards.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as it is needed for the purpose for which it was collected, or as long as required by law. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the reason for holding it.

Customer and service records are generally kept for a reasonable period after completion of work to support warranty queries, complaint handling, and business records.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Correspondence and enquiry records may be kept for a limited time to allow us to respond to follow-up questions or maintain service history.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, destroy, or anonymise it.

7. Data Security

We use reasonable security measures to protect personal data from loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and careful management of records. While no system can be completely secure, we work to reduce risk and handle information responsibly.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal limits, these may include:

The right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
The right to erasure in certain circumstances, sometimes called the right to be forgotten.
The right to restriction of processing in certain situations.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to direct marketing where applicable.
The right to data portability in limited cases where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
The right to withdraw consent where we rely on consent to process your data.

You also have the right to raise concerns about how your data is handled. If you believe your rights have not been respected, you may lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority in the UK. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve concerns promptly and fairly.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are generally aimed at adult customers, property owners, landlords, managers, and authorised representatives. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary and appropriate in relation to a service request and with proper authorisation.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so you remain informed about how your data is used.

11. Summary of Our Approach

In summary, Tree Surgeons Downham only collects personal data that is necessary for delivering services, managing business operations, and meeting legal obligations. We rely on appropriate lawful bases, use trusted processors under suitable safeguards, retain data only for as long as needed, and respect your rights under UK data protection law. This policy applies to all Tree Surgeons Downham customers in the area and is designed to ensure your personal information is handled with care, transparency, and accountability.