Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Ealing

This Privacy Policy explains how personal data is collected, used, stored, and protected by Tree Surgeons Ealing. It applies to all Tree Surgeons Ealing customers in the area, including people who request quotations, book services, make enquiries, or otherwise interact with us in connection with tree surgery, arboricultural care, stump removal, hedge work, pruning, felling, or related services.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy is written to explain what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and what rights you have regarding your personal information.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity data such as your name and, where relevant, the name of your business or property owner.
Contact data including phone number, email address, and postal address.
Service information relating to the tree surgery or related work you request, including site details, access notes, and service preferences.
Payment and billing data where applicable, such as invoice details and transaction records.
Technical data if you interact with us electronically, such as device type, browser information, and basic usage data.
Communication data including messages, calls, emails, quotations, complaints, feedback, and records of service discussions.
Site-related information that may include photos, survey notes, and other information necessary to assess work safely and accurately.

We normally collect this information directly from you, for example when you make an enquiry, request a survey, confirm a booking, or communicate with us during the course of a project. In some cases, we may also receive data from third parties such as property managers, letting agents, insurers, or subcontracted service providers where this is necessary for the delivery of our services.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only where we have a valid reason to do so. Typical purposes include:

providing quotations and responding to enquiries;
arranging surveys, assessments, and site visits;
delivering tree surgery and related services safely and efficiently;
managing bookings, scheduling, and customer communications;
issuing invoices, taking payments, and maintaining financial records;
handling complaints, disputes, or insurance-related matters;
meeting legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations;
improving service quality, customer experience, and operational planning;
maintaining records of work completed and follow-up needs.

We do not sell personal data. We use your data only for legitimate business and legal purposes connected to the services we provide.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process your personal data. Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process your data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing a quotation, booking work, carrying out tree surgery services, and managing payment or follow-up actions linked to the contract.

Legal obligation

We may process and retain certain information to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, health and safety, insurance, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate interests

We may use your data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. This may include handling customer enquiries, maintaining service records, protecting our business from fraud, improving operations, and managing quality assurance.

Consent

In some cases, we may rely on your consent, for example for optional communications or certain marketing activities. Where consent is used, you can withdraw it at any time.

4. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and to meet legal, accounting, insurance, or contractual requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason we hold it.

Customer and job records may be retained for several years after completion of services to support warranty issues, dispute resolution, and business records.
Financial and invoice data are typically retained for the periods required by tax and accounting law.
Communication records may be kept where needed to document decisions, service arrangements, or complaints.
Site notes and photographs may be retained for a limited time where they are necessary for project records, safety, or evidence of work completed.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with applicable legal and operational requirements.

5. Processors and Sharing of Data

We may use third-party service providers, known as processors, to help us operate our business and deliver services. These processors only act on our instructions and are required to protect personal data appropriately.

Examples of processors may include:

accounting and bookkeeping providers;
payment processors;
IT, hosting, and software support providers;
customer record and scheduling systems;
communication and email service providers;
subcontractors or specialist tradespeople where necessary to complete a job;
professional advisers such as insurers, legal advisers, or auditors.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law, court order, or regulatory authority. Where data is shared, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is handled securely and only for the intended purpose.

6. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, and limiting access to data on a need-to-know basis.

Although we take reasonable precautions, no system can be guaranteed completely secure. If a data breach affecting your rights and freedoms occurs, we will respond in line with our legal obligations.

7. Your Rights

You have a number of rights under data protection law. Subject to legal limits, these include:

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.
Right to data portability – in some cases, you can request your data in a machine-readable format.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your data protection rights have not been respected.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are directed to property owners, occupiers, landlords, managers, and other adult customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidentally provided in the context of a service request and only where necessary and lawful.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, business practices, or service operations. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your data.

10. Summary of Our Approach

In summary, Tree Surgeons Ealing processes personal data carefully, only for legitimate and lawful reasons, and only for as long as needed. We use trusted processors where necessary, protect information using appropriate safeguards, and respect your rights under data protection law. This policy applies to all Tree Surgeons Ealing customers in area and is intended to provide a clear explanation of how we handle personal information in connection with our services.

By using our services or providing your information to us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.