Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Teddington

Tree Surgeons Teddington is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers, prospective customers, website visitors, and other individuals whose information we process. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy applies to all Tree Surgeons Teddington customers in the area, including individuals, landlords, property managers, and business clients who engage our services for tree surgery, tree care, maintenance, inspections, emergency callouts, or related work. By using our services, you acknowledge the terms set out in this Privacy Policy.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for the provision, administration, and improvement of our services. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity data: name, title, and, where relevant, company name.
Contact data: address, email address, and telephone number.
Service-related data: details about the work requested, site access, property information, photographs of trees or sites, and notes relating to assessments or job completion.
Payment and transaction data: invoicing details, records of payments, and billing history.
Communication data: records of messages, calls, complaints, quotations, and correspondence.
Technical data: limited information such as IP address, browser type, and usage data if you interact with our online services.
Legal and compliance data: documentation needed for risk management, insurance, health and safety, and regulatory compliance.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and permitted by law. If such data is provided to us, it will only be processed where a lawful basis exists and appropriate safeguards are in place.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We process personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotations and assess service requirements;
to deliver tree surgery and related services safely and effectively;
to manage bookings, scheduling, and site visits;
to issue invoices, process payments, and keep financial records;
to respond to enquiries, complaints, and requests;
to maintain service records and operational quality;
to meet legal, insurance, tax, and health and safety obligations;
to prevent fraud, misuse, or unlawful activity;
to improve our services, processes, and customer experience.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that another compatible purpose exists or we are required or permitted to do otherwise by law.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Depending on the context, Tree Surgeons Teddington relies on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations at your request, carrying out tree work, managing appointments, and handling payments.

Legal obligation

We may process personal data where needed to comply with legal obligations, such as tax record keeping, accounting rules, insurance requirements, and health and safety duties.

Legitimate interests

We may process data for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests do not override your rights and freedoms. Examples include service administration, customer communication, fraud prevention, internal record keeping, and improving our services.

Consent

Where consent is required, we will ask for it clearly and separately. You may withdraw consent at any time, although this will not affect processing that has already taken place lawfully.

4. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to run our business and deliver services. These third parties act either as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers. We ensure that appropriate contracts and safeguards are in place.

Processors may include:

IT and hosting providers that store or maintain records and systems;
accounting and invoicing providers that help with billing and financial administration;
payment service providers that process card or electronic payments;
communications providers that support email, telephone, or messaging services;
record management and backup providers that help preserve secure copies of business data;
professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, or legal advisers where required.

We may also disclose personal data to public authorities, regulators, insurers, or law enforcement where required by law, court order, or to protect our rights, customers, or staff.

We require all processors to act only on our instructions, to keep data secure, and to process it in accordance with data protection law. We do not sell your personal data.

5. 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 vary depending on the type of data and the nature of the relationship.

In general, we may retain:

quotation and customer service records for a reasonable period to manage enquiries and follow-up work;
invoice, payment, and accounting records for the period required by tax and financial law;
site notes, risk assessments, and compliance documents for as long as needed to support safety and insurance obligations;
correspondence and complaints records for the time needed to resolve issues and defend legal claims.

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

6. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or misuse. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, staff awareness, and data minimisation practices.

While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable steps to reduce risks and to respond appropriately to any suspected data breach.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and legal exceptions:

Right of access: you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure: you may request deletion of your data in certain cases.
Right to restriction: you may ask us to limit processing in certain circumstances.
Right to data portability: you may request transfer of data you provided to us, where applicable.
Right to object: you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We aim to respond within the timescales required by law.

8. Marketing Communications

We will only send marketing communications where permitted by law. If you receive such communications and no longer wish to do so, you may object or withdraw consent at any time. We will respect your preferences and update our records accordingly.

9. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it. This may include transfers to countries with an adequacy decision or the use of approved contractual protections.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary for a service request involving a property or relevant adult. If we become aware that data has been collected unlawfully, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, regulation, or our business practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We encourage customers in the Teddington area to review this policy periodically.

12. Summary of Key Principles

Tree Surgeons Teddington processes personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently. We collect only what is needed, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, keep it only for as long as necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or when required by law. We respect your privacy rights and remain accountable for the data we handle.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Tree Surgeons Teddington customers in the area.