Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Stokenewington

This Privacy Policy explains how Tree Surgeons Stokenewington collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Tree Surgeons Stokenewington customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who has requested information, quotations, or tree surgery services from us. 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 We Are

Tree Surgeons Stokenewington provides tree surgery and related arboricultural services to domestic and commercial customers. In the course of delivering our services, we may collect and process personal data about customers, property owners, tenants, contractors, and other individuals connected to a job or enquiry. This policy explains what information we collect and how we use it.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for the purposes described in this policy. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity information such as your name or title.
Contact details such as address, telephone number, and email address.
Property information such as site address, property type, access details, and tree location.
Service information such as your enquiry, quotation request, job history, service preferences, and feedback.
Billing and payment information where needed to issue invoices, confirm payments, or manage accounts.
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, and correspondence relating to estimates, work scheduling, or complaints.
Technical information if you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address, browser type, and device information.
Health and safety information where relevant to a job, for example access restrictions, hazards, or special site instructions.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and lawful to do so, for example where a customer provides relevant information for safety or access reasons. In such cases, we apply additional safeguards.

3. How We Collect Personal Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quotation or consultation;
book or receive a service;
contact us with an enquiry or complaint;
provide site instructions, access details, or service preferences;
make a payment or request an invoice;
communicate with us by phone, email, or other channels.

We may also receive data from third parties where necessary for service delivery, such as property owners, managing agents, contractors, insurers, or publicly available sources used to verify addresses or site details.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under UK GDPR. The main lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract – to provide quotations, carry out tree surgery services, manage bookings, and fulfil our obligations to you.
Legal obligation – to comply with tax, accounting, health and safety, and record-keeping requirements.
Legitimate interests – to manage and improve our services, respond to enquiries, prevent fraud, maintain business records, and protect our legal rights, provided these interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
Consent – in limited situations where we ask for your permission before using your data for a specific purpose. You may withdraw consent at any time where consent is the basis relied upon.

Where special category data is processed, we will identify an additional condition required by law and use appropriate safeguards.

5. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to schedule and carry out tree surgery services;
to communicate about appointments, delays, access, and service updates;
to prepare invoices, process payments, and manage accounts;
to maintain job records and service history;
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
to resolve disputes, handle complaints, and support insurance claims;
to protect our staff, customers, and property through health and safety procedures;
to improve our services and operational efficiency.

We will not use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with those described here unless we have a valid legal basis to do so.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with carefully selected third parties who act as processors or independent controllers, where necessary for business operations or legal compliance. These may include:

IT and hosting providers who store or maintain electronic records and business systems;
accounting and bookkeeping providers who support invoicing, tax, and financial reporting;
payment service providers who process card or bank payments;
email, communication, and document management providers used to manage correspondence and records;
subcontractors or specialist contractors assisting with service delivery, where needed for a specific job;
legal, insurance, or compliance advisers where required to handle claims, disputes, or legal obligations;
public authorities or regulators where disclosure is required by law.

All processors are required to handle personal data securely, only in line with our instructions, and in compliance with data protection law. We do not sell personal data.

7. Data Retention

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

Typical retention periods

Quotation and enquiry records may be kept for a reasonable period to manage follow-up queries and business records.
Customer and service records may be kept for the duration of the customer relationship and for a period afterwards to support warranties, disputes, or future service history.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Health and safety documentation is retained where necessary to demonstrate compliance and manage risk.
Complaint or claim records may be retained until the matter is fully resolved and any limitation periods have expired.

When data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

8. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, password protection, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and minimisation of data access to those who need it for their role. While no system can be completely secure, we review our safeguards regularly and update them where appropriate.

9. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to legal limits and exemptions.

Right of access – you can ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure – in some cases, you can ask us to delete your personal data.
Right to restrict processing – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to data portability – you may ask for certain data to be provided to you or another controller in a structured format.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to direct marketing where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To exercise your rights, you should provide enough information for us to identify you and understand your request. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

10. How We Handle Children’s Data

Our services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidentally provided in connection with a property or service arrangement. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it or process it lawfully.

11. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections, so that your data continues to receive a high standard of protection.

12. Complaints and Further Information

If you are concerned about how your personal data is handled, you have the right to raise a complaint with the relevant data protection authority. We encourage you to contact us first so that we can try to resolve the issue promptly and fairly. You also have the right to seek advice from the Information Commissioner’s Office or your local supervisory authority.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, services, or data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We encourage customers in the Tree Surgeons Stokenewington area to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how their personal data is used.

Effective approach: By using our services, requesting a quotation, or providing your personal data to Tree Surgeons Stokenewington, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and how your information may be processed in accordance with applicable law.