Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Shepherdsbush

This Privacy Policy explains how Tree Surgeons Shepherdsbush collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data in connection with our tree surgery and related services. It applies to all Tree Surgeons Shepherdsbush customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and individuals who make enquiries about our services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services, making an enquiry, or otherwise providing us with personal data, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy and understand how your information may be used. We take data protection seriously and only process personal data where there is a valid legal reason to do so.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide our services, manage our business, and meet our legal obligations. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name or the name of your organisation
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number
Property details relating to the site where work is requested or carried out
Service-related information including the nature of the work requested, quotations, instructions, and communications
Billing and transaction information where relevant to invoicing, payment, and account management
Technical information such as basic website or device data if you submit an enquiry through digital channels
Records of correspondence including phone calls, emails, and messages

In some cases, we may also receive information from third parties, such as property managers, insurers, contractors, or local representatives, where this is necessary to deliver or manage our services. We do not collect more information than is needed for legitimate business purposes.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations
To carry out tree surgery, arboricultural work, and related services
To manage appointments, site visits, and customer communications
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records
To keep internal records of work completed and services provided
To comply with legal, regulatory, tax, and health and safety obligations
To improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of our services
To deal with complaints, disputes, or insurance-related matters

We may also use data to assess whether work is suitable, safe, and legally permissible. In some situations, we may need to retain photographs, notes, or site assessments as part of our service records. All processing is limited to what is relevant and proportionate to the purpose for which the data was collected.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process personal data when we have a lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the context, the lawful bases we rely on may include:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as providing a quotation, scheduling work, completing tree surgery services, or invoicing for services rendered.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data to comply with legal duties, including record-keeping, tax requirements, health and safety obligations, and responding to lawful requests from public authorities where appropriate.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include maintaining service records, improving operations, managing customer relationships, preventing fraud, and handling customer enquiries. We consider and balance any potential impact on your rights before relying on legitimate interests.

Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is appropriate for optional communications or certain non-essential uses of data. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

4. How Long We Keep Your Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of record and the reason for holding it.

Enquiry records may be kept for a reasonable period if no work is commissioned
Customer and service records are generally retained for the duration of the relationship and for a further period afterwards where needed for legal or business purposes
Financial and tax records are retained in line with applicable legal requirements
Health and safety, insurance, or dispute-related records may be kept for longer where necessary

When personal data is no longer required, we will take appropriate steps to delete, anonymise, or securely destroy it. Retention is reviewed periodically to ensure data is not kept longer than necessary.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to provide our services, manage our business, or comply with legal obligations. These third parties may act as processors or, in some cases, independent controllers.

Typical processors or service providers may include:

IT and data storage providers that support secure record keeping and communications
Accounting or bookkeeping providers that assist with invoicing, tax, and financial administration
Payment service providers that help process transactions securely
Administrative support providers that help manage bookings or correspondence
Professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors where necessary

We require processors to handle personal data only on our instructions, to keep it secure, and to use it only for the services they provide to us. Where data is transferred outside the UK, appropriate safeguards will be used to protect your information. We do not sell personal data.

6. Data Security

We apply appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, loss, or destruction. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff confidentiality obligations, and careful handling of records. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to reduce risks and to respond promptly if an incident occurs.

Only staff or approved service providers with a genuine need to access personal data will be permitted to do so.

7. Your Rights

Under 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 – 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 situations
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests
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 also have the right to raise concerns about how your personal data is handled. If you believe your data protection rights have been infringed, you may contact the relevant supervisory authority in the UK. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any issue directly and promptly.

8. 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 in connection with a property, household, or service arrangement and lawful grounds exist. If we become aware that personal data has been collected incorrectly or without a proper basis, we will take appropriate steps to remove or protect it.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or our internal practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise made available. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.

10. Our Commitment

Tree Surgeons Shepherdsbush is committed to respecting privacy and handling personal information responsibly. We aim to keep our processing transparent, limited, and secure, while ensuring that customers receive a reliable and professional service. This policy is intended to give you clear information about how we manage your data and the choices available to you.

If you provide personal data to us in connection with our services, we will treat it in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law. Your trust is important to us, and we will always seek to process data fairly, securely, and only when necessary.