Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Kensington

Tree Surgeons Kensington is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the Kensington area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Tree Surgeons Kensington customers in the area, including existing, former, and prospective customers who enquire about or receive our services.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Tree Surgeons Kensington acts as the data controller for the personal data we collect and use in connection with our services. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing personal data where we provide tree surgery, arboricultural assessments, site visits, quotes, bookings, and related customer support. We take our responsibilities seriously and aim to ensure that all processing is fair, lawful, transparent, and limited to what is necessary.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information that is needed to provide our services safely and effectively. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

Identity details: name, title, and, where relevant, business or property ownership details.
Contact details: address, email address, telephone number, and preferred communication method.
Service details: information about your property, trees, access requirements, photos you provide, and notes relating to the work requested.
Transaction details: records of quotations, invoices, payments, and service history.
Communication records: emails, call notes, messages, complaints, feedback, and correspondence.
Technical information: limited data such as website usage logs if you contact us through digital channels, where applicable.
Health and safety information: details needed to carry out work safely, such as access restrictions, hazard warnings, or site-specific risks.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and relevant to a specific request, complaint, or safety concern. If such information is provided, it will be handled carefully and only where a lawful basis applies.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We may collect data directly from you when you make an enquiry, request a quote, book a service, communicate with our team, or provide feedback. We may also receive personal data from third parties where necessary to perform our services, for example from property managers, contractors, or others authorised to act on your behalf. In some cases, we may obtain limited information from public sources when needed to verify property details or organise service delivery.

4. Purposes of Processing

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to arrange and deliver tree surgery and related services;
to manage customer accounts, bookings, and service history;
to communicate updates, changes, or important service information;
to issue invoices, process payments, and maintain records;
to meet legal, regulatory, and insurance obligations;
to protect health and safety on site;
to handle complaints, disputes, or claims;
to improve our services, operations, and customer experience.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with those stated above unless we have a lawful basis to do so and you are informed where required.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process your personal data. Tree Surgeons Kensington relies on one or more of the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotations at your request, delivering services, handling bookings, and managing payment-related records.

Legal Obligation

We may process data when required to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, including tax, accounting, safety, or record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This can include improving our services, maintaining secure systems, responding to customer enquiries, and keeping internal records.

Consent

Where required, we will ask for your consent before processing your personal data for certain optional activities. If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

6. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including meeting legal, accounting, and insurance obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and the nature of the service provided. In general:

quotation and enquiry records are kept for a limited period to manage follow-up and business administration;
customer and transaction records are retained for the period required by law and for legitimate business purposes;
communication records may be retained to resolve disputes, maintain service history, or evidence instructions;
safety-related information is retained only as long as necessary to support lawful and safe service delivery;
when data is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of.

We regularly review stored data to ensure it is not kept longer than necessary. Retention is based on necessity, legal compliance, and proportionality, not on convenience.

7. Data Processors and Third Parties

We may share personal data with trusted processors and service providers who help us operate our business. These parties act on our instructions and are required to handle your data securely and only for specified purposes. Examples may include:

IT and cloud storage providers;
accounting and invoicing systems;
payment service providers;
communication and email service providers;
administrative or scheduling tools;
professional advisers, such as accountants or legal advisers;
insurance providers and claims handlers;
regulators, authorities, or law enforcement where legally required.

We take steps to ensure that processors provide adequate safeguards and only process data in line with applicable data protection laws. Where personal data is shared with third parties that are independent controllers, they are responsible for their own use of the information in accordance with their privacy notices and legal duties.

8. International Transfers

If any of our processors or service providers store or process data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. These may include adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms. We will take reasonable steps to protect your information wherever it is processed.

9. Security of Personal Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality expectations, and data minimisation practices. While no system is completely secure, we work to maintain a high level of protection and review our procedures as needed.

10. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing:

Right of access: you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: you may request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction: you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object: you may object to processing based on legitimate interests in certain cases.
Right to data portability: where applicable, you may request your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent: if we rely 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 protection rights have not been respected. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can address them promptly and fairly.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are generally directed to adults and property-related customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is necessary and lawful in connection with a service request or site-related communication. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without appropriate authority or lawful basis, we will take steps to delete or secure it as appropriate.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business operations, or data processing practices. When we do so, we will revise the policy content accordingly. We encourage customers in Kensington to review this notice periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is handled.

13. Summary of Our Commitment

Tree Surgeons Kensington will always aim to process personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We collect only what we need, retain it only as long as necessary, use trusted processors where appropriate, and respect the rights of every customer. This Privacy Policy applies to all Tree Surgeons Kensington customers in area and is designed to ensure your information is treated with care, accountability, and respect.