Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Hernehill

This Privacy Policy explains how Tree Surgeons Hernehill collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data relating to our customers and prospective customers in the Hernehill area. This policy applies to all Tree Surgeons Hernehill customers in the area, including individuals who contact us for quotations, arrange services, receive tree surgery work, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our services.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We recognise the importance of privacy and take appropriate steps to protect the information entrusted to us.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect and process personal data that is necessary to provide our services, manage customer relationships, and meet legal obligations. The type of information we collect depends on how you interact with us and the services requested.

Personal data we may collect includes:

Identity details such as your name and title.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Property information relevant to the requested tree surgery work, including site access and service location details.
Service records such as quotations, job notes, invoices, and work history.
Communication records including enquiries, complaints, and correspondence.
Payment information where needed to process transactions and maintain accounting records.
Technical data if you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address or device information, where applicable.

We may also receive information from third parties where this is necessary to deliver our services, for example from property owners, managing agents, contractors, or referral sources acting on your behalf.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data only where we have a valid reason to do so. In general, we use your information to:

Provide quotations and assess service requirements.
Carry out tree surgery and related services safely and effectively.
Communicate with you about bookings, work progress, and service updates.
Issue invoices, receive payments, and keep financial records.
Maintain internal records and service quality.
Respond to enquiries, feedback, and complaints.
Meet legal, regulatory, accounting, and insurance obligations.
Protect our business, staff, customers, and property.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected unless we reasonably believe we need to use it for another compatible purpose and such use is permitted by law.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, Tree Surgeons Hernehill may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract: where processing is necessary to prepare for, enter into, or perform a contract with you.
Legitimate interests: where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include managing operations, improving services, and maintaining business records.
Legal obligation: where processing is required to comply with applicable laws, such as tax, accounting, health and safety, or insurance obligations.
Consent: where you have given clear consent for a specific purpose, for example certain marketing communications, if used.

Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing before it was withdrawn.

4. Sharing Your Information and Processors

We may share personal data where necessary and appropriate to operate our business and provide services. We only share information with third parties when there is a lawful reason to do so and when safeguards are in place.

Examples of processors and recipients may include:

Payment providers who process transactions securely.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers who help manage financial records.
IT and cloud service providers who support data storage, email, and business systems.
Subcontractors and specialist service providers assisting with tree surgery-related work or site services.
Insurers, legal advisers, and professional advisers where required for claims, disputes, or compliance.
Regulators, public authorities, or law enforcement when disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights and safety.

When we use a processor, they are only permitted to process personal data on our instructions and must take appropriate security measures. We do not sell personal data.

5. International Transfers

Where personal data is stored or processed outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it. These safeguards may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent measures required by law.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason it is held.

In general:

Customer and service records are retained for a period appropriate to business and legal needs.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by applicable law.
Enquiry records may be retained for a limited period if no service is booked.
Where data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or destroyed.

We review retention needs periodically and apply data minimisation principles to ensure information is not kept longer than necessary.

7. Data Security

We take the security of personal data seriously and use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include restricted access, secure storage, password protection, and careful handling of records.

Although no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to reduce risks and respond appropriately if a security incident occurs.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply in different circumstances, and some may be subject to legal exceptions.

Your rights include:

Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restrict processing: to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
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 where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data has not been handled lawfully. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can try to resolve them promptly and fairly.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adults and property-related customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary and lawful in a specific situation. If we become aware that we have collected such data without proper authority, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or our data practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how your information is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Tree Surgeons Hernehill values privacy and uses personal data responsibly. We collect only what is needed, use it for clear and lawful purposes, retain it for no longer than necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or recipients where required. We respect your rights and aim to protect your information with suitable safeguards at all times.

By using our services in the Hernehill area, you acknowledge that this Privacy Policy applies to you as a Tree Surgeons Hernehill customer in the area. We will continue to handle data in a way that is transparent, secure, and compliant with applicable data protection laws.