Privacy Policy

Gardeners Hatton Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Gardeners Hatton collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to its customers and prospective customers in our service area. It also explains your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and related data protection laws. By using our gardening services or providing your personal data to us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

Scope of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to all individual customers and prospective customers of Gardeners Hatton within our service area, as well as individuals who contact us with enquiries about our services or who interact with us in the course of our business. It covers personal data collected through face to face contact, telephone, post, and any online or digital channels that we may use.

Who is responsible for your data

Gardeners Hatton is the controller of the personal data it collects and processes in connection with the provision of gardening and related services. As controller, Gardeners Hatton determines the purposes and means of processing your personal data and is responsible for ensuring that such processing complies with applicable data protection laws.

Types of personal data we collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for the provision and management of our services. The types of information we may collect include:

Identification and contact details, such as your name, postal address, billing address, and any preferred contact details that you choose to provide to us.

Service and property details, such as the address where our gardening services are provided, access instructions, notes about the garden or outdoor area, and information about the type and frequency of services requested.

Communication records, including records of communications between you and Gardeners Hatton, such as notes from calls, messages and any correspondence related to bookings, quotations, feedback or complaints.

Billing and payment details, including information required to prepare invoices and record payments. We do not store full payment card details if electronic payment services are used; those details are handled by the relevant payment processor.

Usage and preference data, such as your service preferences, frequency of visits, and any relevant instructions you provide so that we can tailor our service to your needs.

How we collect your personal data

We collect personal data directly from you when you contact Gardeners Hatton to request a quote, make a booking, ask a question or otherwise interact with us. This may occur in person, by post, over the phone, or through any online or digital communications channels we use.

We may also collect personal data from third parties where this is necessary and lawful, for example where an existing customer provides contact details for a person responsible for access to a property, or where an agent or landlord passes on your details for the purpose of arranging gardening services at a property you occupy.

Lawful bases for processing your personal data

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process your personal data. Gardeners Hatton relies on the following lawful bases:

Performance of a contract: We process your personal data where this is necessary to enter into and perform a contract for gardening or related services, including preparing quotes, performing the work, managing your account and issuing invoices.

Compliance with legal obligations: We may process your personal data to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as record keeping, accounting and tax obligations.

Legitimate interests: We may process your personal data where this is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This can include managing and improving our services, responding to enquiries, and maintaining accurate business records.

Consent: In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where you have clearly agreed to receive certain types of optional marketing communications. Where processing is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

How we use your personal data

Gardeners Hatton uses the personal data it collects for the following purposes:

To provide and manage gardening and related services, including arranging visits, carrying out work, and tailoring services to your property and preferences.

To communicate with you, including responding to enquiries, sending confirmations, rescheduling appointments, and providing necessary updates about your services.

To manage billing and payments, including preparing and sending invoices, recording payments received, and resolving billing queries.

To manage our business operations, including internal administration, reporting, and improving our services and customer experience.

To comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including maintaining appropriate records and cooperating with lawful requests from public authorities where required.

Data sharing and processors

Gardeners Hatton does not sell your personal data. We may share your personal data with selected third parties only where this is necessary, lawful and subject to appropriate safeguards. These third parties may include:

Service providers acting as processors who supply us with services such as payment processing, accounting support, information technology support, and secure data storage. These processors only process your personal data on our documented instructions and are bound by confidentiality and data protection obligations.

Professional advisers, such as accountants or legal advisers, where such sharing is necessary for the provision of their services to us and where appropriate confidentiality obligations are in place.

Public authorities and regulators where we are legally required to do so, or where disclosure is necessary to protect our rights or those of others, for example in the context of fraud prevention or the enforcement of legal claims.

International data transfers

Our intention is to store and process personal data within the United Kingdom or other locations that provide an adequate level of data protection. Where it becomes necessary to transfer personal data outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses approved by relevant authorities or other recognised mechanisms that ensure an equivalent level of protection for your personal data.

Data retention and storage

Gardeners Hatton retains personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or for as long as we are required to keep it under applicable laws and regulations.

In general, we keep customer records for the duration of our relationship with you and for a period afterwards, to respond to any queries, manage our accounts, and meet legal and tax requirements. When there is no longer a lawful reason to retain your personal data, we will securely delete it or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, and appropriate training for personnel who handle personal data.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data processed by Gardeners Hatton. These include:

The right of access: You can request confirmation that we process your personal data and ask for a copy of that data, along with information about how we use it.

The right to rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate personal data or to complete personal data that is incomplete.

The right to erasure: In certain circumstances, you can request that we delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and we have no other lawful basis to continue processing it.

The right to restriction of processing: In certain circumstances, you can ask us to restrict how we use your personal data, for example while we are dealing with a request for rectification or an objection.

The right to object: You can object to our processing of your personal data where we are relying on legitimate interests as our lawful basis. We will no longer process your data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests, rights and freedoms, or where processing is required for legal claims.

The right to data portability: Where processing is based on consent or on a contract and is carried out by automated means, you may request that certain personal data is provided to you in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format, or transferred to another controller where technically feasible.

You also have the right to withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on your consent. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

Exercising your rights and complaints

If you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights or have questions about how Gardeners Hatton handles your personal data, you can contact us using the usual communication channels you use for our services. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. We aim to respond to all legitimate requests within applicable statutory timeframes.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office or another competent supervisory authority if you are concerned about how your personal data is being handled. We would encourage you to contact Gardeners Hatton first so that we have the opportunity to address your concerns.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

Gardeners Hatton may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, our data processing practices or applicable laws. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published. We recommend that you review this Privacy Policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we handle your personal data.