Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Parsonsgreen

This Privacy Policy explains how Tree Surgeons Parsonsgreen collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Tree Surgeons Parsonsgreen customers in the area, including individuals and organisations who request tree surgery services, receive quotations, book work, or otherwise interact with our business. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent way in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to current, former, and prospective customers of Tree Surgeons Parsonsgreen in the area, as well as people who enquire about our services, property owners, tenants, managing agents, and any other party who provides us with personal data in connection with tree surgery, arboricultural services, site assessments, or related works.

By using our services or communicating with us, you acknowledge that your personal information may be processed as described in this policy.

2. Personal data we collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide our services, manage our operations, and meet legal obligations. Depending on the nature of the work, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

Identity data such as your name and title.
Contact data such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Property and service data such as site address, access details, photographs, work instructions, and service history.
Payment and transaction data such as billing details, invoice records, and payment status.
Communication data such as messages, enquiries, complaints, and notes from calls or meetings.
Technical data if you interact with our digital systems, such as IP address, browser information, and usage logs.
Compliance data such as records needed for insurance, health and safety, or legal reporting.

We do not seek to collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and there is a lawful basis to do so. If such information is provided to us incidentally, we will handle it carefully and only for the relevant purpose.

3. How we use personal data

We use personal information for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to plan, deliver, and manage tree surgery services;
to confirm property access and site requirements;
to issue invoices and process payments;
to maintain records of work carried out;
to manage customer communication and service updates;
to handle complaints, insurance claims, or disputes;
to comply with legal, regulatory, tax, and health and safety obligations;
to protect the security of our business, staff, and customers;
to improve our services and internal processes.

We will only use your personal data for the purpose for which it was collected unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible purpose.

4. Lawful basis for processing

We process personal data only where a lawful basis under the UK GDPR applies. Depending on the circumstances, Tree Surgeons Parsonsgreen relies on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract – when processing is necessary to prepare for or perform a contract, such as providing a quotation, carrying out work, or managing payment.
Legitimate interests – when processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This includes managing customer relationships, maintaining records, preventing fraud, and improving service delivery.
Legal obligation – when we must process information to comply with laws or regulations, including tax, accounting, employment, insurance, and safety requirements.
Consent – in limited circumstances where we ask for your permission, for example for certain types of optional marketing or where consent is otherwise required by law.

We do not rely on consent where another lawful basis is more appropriate. If we do rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. Data sharing and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and provide services. These third parties act either as independent controllers or as processors acting on our instructions.

Examples of processors and service providers may include:

Accountancy and bookkeeping providers for financial administration.
IT and cloud storage providers for secure data hosting, backup, and system maintenance.
Payment service providers for processing card or electronic payments.
Communication and email service providers for sending customer updates and records.
Insurance professionals where claims or risk management matters require disclosure.
Subcontractors or specialist trades where they are needed to complete the work safely and effectively.

Where we use processors, we require them to protect personal data, use it only for the agreed purpose, and implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures. We do not sell your personal data.

We may also disclose information where necessary to comply with a legal requirement, court order, or request from a competent authority.

6. International transfers

Where any processor or service provider stores or accesses personal data outside the UK, we will take appropriate steps to ensure your information remains protected. This may include using approved transfer mechanisms and safeguards recognised under data protection law.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, insurance, and reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of data and the reason for processing.

In general, we may retain:

customer and contract records for the duration of the service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards;
financial and invoicing records for the period required by tax and accounting laws;
site and work records for as long as needed to evidence work completed or resolve future queries;
communication records for a period appropriate to the nature of the enquiry or complaint.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our retention procedures.

8. Security of your data

We take reasonable and proportionate steps to safeguard personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and restricted permissions.

However, no system is completely secure. While we work hard to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your rights

Under data protection law, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

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 circumstances.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – to request that data you provided to us be transferred to you or another organisation, where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

These rights are not absolute and may not apply in every case. We will respond to requests in line with legal requirements and may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

10. Marketing preferences

If we send marketing communications, we will do so only where permitted by law. You can object to marketing at any time. If you opt out, we will stop sending such messages, although we may still contact you about services you have requested, invoices, safety matters, or other essential administrative issues.

11. Children’s data

Our services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is incidental to a customer relationship and necessary for service delivery, safeguarding, or legal compliance.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or how we handle personal data. Any revised version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically.

13. Complaints and concerns

If you have concerns about how your personal data is handled, we will aim to address them promptly and fairly. You also have the right to raise a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your information has been mishandled.

Summary of our commitment

Tree Surgeons Parsonsgreen respects your privacy and processes personal data only when necessary, lawful, and proportionate. We use transparent practices, trusted processors, limited retention periods, and appropriate safeguards to protect the information entrusted to us. Our aim is to deliver professional tree surgery services while upholding your data protection rights.