Privacy Policy

Last updated: 1 August 2026

1. Who We Are

0161 Reception (“we”, “us”, “our”) provides AI-powered receptionist and call-handling services to local businesses in South Manchester and the wider UK. We are the data controller for personal data collected through our website and services.

Contact: [email protected]

2. What Data We Collect

We may collect the following personal data:

  • Business contact information: name, business name, email address, phone number, and business address provided when you enquire about or sign up for our services.
  • Call data: inbound and outbound call recordings, transcripts, caller phone numbers, call duration, and timestamps processed through our AI receptionist platform on behalf of our business clients.
  • Website usage data: pages visited, time on site, browser type, device type, and IP address collected automatically when you visit our website.
  • Account data: email address and hashed password if you create an account on our platform.
  • Communications: any emails, messages, or correspondence you send to us.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

  • Service delivery: to provide AI receptionist services, handle calls, take messages, and book appointments on behalf of our business clients.
  • Account management: to create and manage your account, process payments, and provide customer support.
  • Service improvement: to monitor call quality, refine AI responses, and improve our service.
  • Communication: to respond to enquiries, send service updates, and provide information you have requested.
  • Legal compliance: to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data under the following lawful bases as defined in the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR):

  • Contractual necessity (Article 6(1)(b)): processing necessary to perform our contract with you or to take pre-contractual steps at your request.
  • Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)): processing necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving our services and preventing fraud, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights. We have conducted a Legitimate Interest Assessment (LIA) for inbound call handling and data recording.
  • Consent (Article 6(1)(a)): where you have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for a specific purpose.
  • Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)): processing necessary to comply with a legal obligation.

5. Call Recording & AI Processing

Our AI receptionist service processes inbound phone calls on behalf of our business clients. All callers are informed at the start of each call that the call is being recorded and processed by an AI assistant for quality and booking purposes.

  • Call recordings and transcripts are retained for a maximum of 90 days from the date of the call, after which they are automatically deleted.
  • Call data is processed to extract booking details, messages, and caller information which is shared with the relevant business client.
  • We do not use call data for marketing purposes or share it with unrelated third parties.

6. Data Sharing

We may share personal data with:

  • Our business clients: call summaries, messages, and booking information are shared with the business whose AI receptionist handled the call.
  • Technology providers: we use third-party AI and telephony platforms to deliver our services. These providers process data on our behalf under data processing agreements. Data may be processed outside the UK under appropriate safeguards (e.g., UK-US Data Bridge, Standard Contractual Clauses).
  • Payment processors: payment information is handled by our payment processor (Stripe) and is subject to their privacy policy.
  • Legal authorities: where required by law, regulation, or legal process.

We do not sell personal data to third parties.

7. Data Retention

  • Call recordings and transcripts: automatically deleted after 90 days.
  • Business client account data: retained for the duration of the service agreement plus 12 months.
  • Enquiry and contact data: retained for up to 24 months from last contact.
  • Website analytics data: retained in anonymised/aggregated form.

8. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Right of access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to rectification: request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Right to erasure: request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances.
  • Right to restrict processing: request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
  • Right to data portability: request transfer of your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
  • Right to object: object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
  • Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within one month of receiving your request.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include encryption of data in transit and at rest, access controls, and regular security reviews.

10. Cookies

Our website uses essential cookies required for the site to function (e.g., session management and authentication). We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. If we introduce analytics cookies in the future, we will update this policy and obtain your consent where required.

11. International Transfers

Some of our technology providers are based outside the UK. Where personal data is transferred internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as the UK-US Data Bridge, Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), or adequacy decisions recognised by the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

12. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve your concern.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated “last updated” date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.