Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Maidavale

This Privacy Policy explains how Tree Surgeons Maidavale collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Tree Surgeons Maidavale customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who enquire about 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.

1. Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to anyone whose personal data is processed in connection with our tree surgery and related arboricultural services. This includes people who request quotes, book services, receive site visits, make payments, submit complaints, or communicate with us for any reason connected to our business.

Tree Surgeons Maidavale is the controller of the personal data described in this policy unless otherwise stated. This means we decide how and why your personal data is used.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for running our business and providing our services. The categories of information we may collect include:

Identity information such as your name and, where relevant, job title
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number
Service information such as details of the work requested, property access requirements, and site notes
Financial information such as payment records and invoice details
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, and complaint correspondence
Technical data if you interact with our digital systems, such as basic device or browser information
Health or safety information where necessary for site access, work planning, or risk management

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is relevant and required for a specific lawful purpose. If such data is provided to us, it will be handled with additional care and only where appropriate safeguards are in place.

3. How We Collect Personal Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

Request a quote or service
Book an appointment or site visit
Communicate with us by phone, email, or message
Make a payment or receive an invoice
Provide feedback or raise a concern

We may also receive information from third parties where necessary, such as property managers, landlords, insurers, or subcontractors involved in delivering the service. Where data is obtained from another source, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that it is used fairly and lawfully.

4. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data only for legitimate business and operational purposes. These may include:

Providing quotations and delivering tree surgery services
Managing bookings, scheduling visits, and coordinating work
Communicating with you about the services you request
Processing payments and maintaining accounting records
Managing customer relationships and service history
Meeting legal, regulatory, tax, and insurance obligations
Handling complaints, claims, and dispute resolution
Improving our services, processes, and safety procedures

We may use anonymised or aggregated data for reporting and business improvement. This type of information does not identify you personally.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for each use of personal data. The main lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract

We process your data when it is necessary to take steps before entering into a contract or to perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, carrying out agreed work, issuing invoices, and managing service-related communication.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information when we need to comply with legal obligations, such as tax records, accounting requirements, health and safety duties, and other regulatory obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided that your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include maintaining service records, managing queries, improving operations, preventing fraud, and protecting our business and customers. We always consider whether the use of your data is proportionate and appropriate.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, particularly where the law requires it. If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.

6. Sharing Your Personal Data

We may share your personal data with trusted third parties known as processors or service providers. These parties act on our instructions and are required to protect your data. We only share the data necessary for the task being carried out.

Examples of processors may include:

Accounting and bookkeeping providers
IT and cloud storage providers
Payment processing services
Scheduling, administration, or communication tools
Waste disposal, subcontracting, or logistics partners where required to complete the service

We may also disclose personal data to insurers, legal advisers, regulators, or public authorities where required by law or where necessary to protect our legal rights. We do not sell personal data.

7. International Transfers

Where any processor stores or accesses data outside the UK, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place. These may include standard contractual clauses or other legally approved transfer mechanisms. We take reasonable steps to make sure your information remains protected to the standard required by UK data protection law.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, insurance, or reporting requirements. Retention periods can vary depending on the type of information and the reason it is held.

In general:

Quotation and enquiry records may be kept for a limited period for administration and follow-up
Customer and service records may be retained for contract management and business history
Invoice, payment, and tax records are usually retained for the period required by law
Health and safety, complaint, or claim records may be retained longer where necessary

When personal data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted, anonymised, or otherwise disposed of in a safe manner.

9. How We Protect Your Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These may include access restrictions, secure storage, staff awareness, and data minimisation practices. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we take reasonable and proportionate steps to protect the information we hold.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have important rights regarding your personal data. These rights may apply in different circumstances and may be subject to legal exceptions. They include:

The right to be informed about how your data is used
The right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
The right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
The right to erasure in certain situations, also known as the right to be forgotten
The right to restrict processing in specific circumstances
The right to data portability for data provided by you and processed by automated means under certain conditions
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
Rights related to automated decision-making, where applicable

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request. Some rights may not apply where we have a valid legal reason to continue processing the data.

11. Marketing

We do not use personal data for unsolicited marketing unless we are permitted to do so by law or you have given consent where required. If you do receive marketing from us, you can object at any time where the law allows it. Any preference you express will be respected.

12. Children’s Data

Our services are aimed at adult customers, property owners, managers, and other responsible persons. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is provided incidentally and is necessary for service delivery or safety. If we become aware that we have collected data improperly, we will take appropriate steps to delete or protect it.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or operational needs. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage you to review it periodically so that you remain informed about how your data is handled.

14. Summary of Key Principles

Tree Surgeons Maidavale is committed to lawful, transparent, and responsible data handling. We collect only the information needed to provide our services, use it for clear and legitimate purposes, share it only with trusted processors or when required by law, and keep it only for as long as necessary. We also respect your rights and aim to handle all data with care and accountability.

By using our services or making an enquiry, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed as described in this Privacy Policy.

This policy applies to all Tree Surgeons Maidavale customers in the area.