Privacy notice

Who we are

The controller is Always Building Limited, trading as Always Building, company no. 07792231, registered office 287 High Street, London Colney, St Albans AL2 1EU. Contact: hello@alwaysbuilding.co.uk.

What we collect

• Form data. What you type into the enquiry form: name, business, mobile, email, what the business does, and the answers you choose. Also the page you arrived on and any campaign code in the link, so we know which letter or card worked.
• Booking a chat. Bookings are made through Google Calendar's booking page, which Google runs under its own privacy policy. The name, email, phone number and business details you give there come to David's calendar, so he can ring you at the time you chose.
• The Always Building demo line, 01727 326026. Ara, an AI assistant, answers it. If you ring it, the call is recorded and transcribed, and the time, duration and your number are logged. She tells you at the start of the call that she is an AI and that the call is recorded.
• Talking to Ara on this website. Ara is an AI assistant. Nothing starts until you press "Talk to Ara" or type a question. If you talk to her, your voice is streamed to xAI, who generate her replies; we do not record or keep the audio or what was said, and the conversation ends when you hang up or after three minutes. If you type a question, we keep the question (not your name or contact details) so we can improve her answers. For both we log the time, the length, and a scrambled code made from your connection address so one visitor cannot use the service all day. So she can carry on where you left off, the last few lines of your conversation with her are kept in your own browser for this visit only (they go when you close the tab), and sent with your next question or call so her replies follow on; we do not store them. She tells you she is an AI at the start.
• Analytics. None at the moment. This site sets no analytics cookies and runs no tracking scripts. If that changes, this page and the cookies page will say so first.

Why, and the lawful basis

• Replying to your enquiry and preparing a quote: steps you ask us to take before a contract, and our legitimate interest in running the business.
• Demo-line recordings: our legitimate interest in checking the receptionist works and reviewing its mistakes.
• Payment for a set-up: performing our contract with you.
• Talking to Ara on the website: your choice to start it, and our legitimate interest in answering your questions and keeping the service within its limits.
• Update emails: your consent, by the separate box on the form. Unsubscribe in any email.

Who processes it for us

Twilio and xAI (the demo line), xAI (Ara's voice and typed answers on this website), Stripe (card payments, when you pay for a set-up), our web host (Stablepoint, shared hosting for alwaysbuilding.co.uk), and our email provider. Each acts on our instructions under a written contract.

International transfers

xAI and Twilio are United States companies, so the demo line and Ara involve a transfer there. We rely on the safeguards in each provider's data processing terms (standard contractual clauses with the UK addendum). Our web host and email are in the UK.

How long we keep it

• Demo-line recordings and transcripts: 7 days, then deleted automatically.
• Enquiries: 12 months after our last contact with you, then deleted.
• Talking to Ara on the website: no audio is kept. Typed questions and the logs of time, length and scrambled connection code: 90 days, then deleted.

Your rights

You can ask for a copy of your data, ask us to correct or delete it, object to our use of it, or ask us to restrict it. Email hello@alwaysbuilding.co.uk and we will reply within a month. If you are not happy with our answer you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.