The short version
- We collect only what we need to quote, invoice and chase for the businesses we work for.
- Jobs reach us as WhatsApp messages, voice notes and photos, forwarded emails and forwarded website enquiries. We don’t answer or record phone calls.
- AI helps us transcribe and draft. A person at Back Pocket Office checks every draft, and nothing goes to a customer until the business owner approves it.
- We never sell information or use it for advertising, and we never send marketing to our clients’ customers.
- We don’t use anyone’s information to train AI models, and our AI providers can’t either.
- Each client’s prices, quotes and customers are used only for that client. They are never shared with, or compared against, other clients.
- We never hold internet banking logins or approve payments.
- You can ask to see, correct, copy or delete your information at any time.
Who we are
Back Pocket Office ([legal entity name], NZBN [number], [address]) runs back-office admin for trade businesses in New Zealand: quotes, follow-ups, invoices and chasing. Our privacy officer is Richard van den Bos. Contact him at [email] about anything on this page.
What we collect and why
| Whose | What | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Our clients (business owners and their staff) | Name, mobile number, email, business details, the messages, voice notes, photos and emails you send or forward to us, your price list, rates and payment terms, and billing details | To run the service, ask you about jobs, and invoice you |
| Our clients’ customers | Name, contact details, job address, what the job is, photos of the job, the enquiry they sent the business, and the quote, invoice and payment status | To prepare quotes and invoices, and send follow-ups and payment reminders, for our client |
| People who try a free sample quote | Your name, business name, number and the voice note or photo you send | To send your sample quote and one follow-up |
| Website visitors and people who contact us | Only what you choose to send us, and anonymous page counts | To reply to you and see which pages are useful |
We don’t ask for more than the job needs. Please don’t send us bank details, IRD numbers, health information, or anything about a customer that isn’t needed for the quote.
How messages reach us
- WhatsApp. Clients message one Back Pocket Office number on WhatsApp. WhatsApp is run by Meta, which processes those messages to deliver them, under its business terms.
- Email and website enquiries. Clients can forward customer emails and the enquiries that come through their own website’s contact form to a Back Pocket Office address. We read them only to quote the job.
- Text messages. If we set up texting, texts come and go through a New Zealand text provider.
- No phone calls. We don’t answer calls on a client’s behalf, and we don’t record calls or voicemails.
Every message is filed against the client it came from. If we can’t tell whose it is, we ask; we never guess.
How we use AI
We use AI services to transcribe voice notes, read photos and plans, and draft quotes, scope write-ups, messages and summaries. That is what makes Back Pocket Office fast. To keep it safe:
- A person checks every draft, and the business owner approves anything that goes to a customer.
- AI is never used to make decisions about people, such as whether someone gets credit or work.
- We only use AI providers ([names]) on business terms that don’t allow them to train their models on what we send, and that limit how long they keep it.
- Each client’s history with us (past quotes, prices and edits) is used to draft that client’s future quotes. It is not used to train any AI model and is never shared with another client.
When we work for a business, it’s their customers’ information
We act on our client’s behalf. Under section 11 of the Privacy Act, the information we handle about their customers is treated as held by that business, and the business stays responsible for it. That includes telling customers how their information is used, which the new rule on indirect collection (IPP3A) requires from 1 May 2026. To help, every quote we send names the business, says Back Pocket Office prepared it for them, and links to this page. We use customer information only for that client’s quotes, invoices, follow-ups and payment reminders, and every follow-up includes a simple way to opt out. We don’t contact past customers about new work; on some plans we list them for the business owner to decide.
Where it’s kept
Quotes, invoices and customer records stay in the client’s own Xero or MYOB (or ServiceM8 or Tradify). Our working copies are kept in secure business accounts ([Google Workspace or Microsoft 365] and [Airtable]). Some providers, including Meta (WhatsApp) and our AI providers, process data outside New Zealand, for example in Australia or the United States. We only use providers whose protections are comparable to New Zealand’s, and we’ll tell you who they are and where they process data if you ask.
How long we keep it
- Voice notes, photos and attachments: deleted within 30 days of the quote or invoice they were for. The written job details stay with the job record.
- Forwarded emails and website enquiries: kept with the job while it’s open, then deleted within 30 days unless they’re part of the quote record.
- Sample quotes: if you don’t sign up, we delete your voice note, sample quote and details within 30 days.
- Clients: while we work together. When you leave, we hand back or delete your information within 60 days, as you choose, and remove our access.
- Our own invoices: seven years, because tax law requires it.
Keeping it safe
Two-step login on every account, access only for the people who need it, separate records for each client, no internet banking logins held, and access removed when work ends.
Your rights
You can ask to see, correct or delete the personal information we hold about you, or ask for a copy of your business’s quotes, prices and customer list. Email richard@backpocketoffice.co.nz and we’ll respond within 20 working days. If you’re a customer of one of our clients, we may pass your request to that business, because it holds the information. If you’re not happy with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
If something goes wrong
If a privacy breach could cause serious harm, we’ll tell the affected client straight away and notify the Privacy Commissioner and the people affected, as the law requires.
Website
No advertising trackers, no selling of data. We only count page visits without identifying you.
This is a draft for legal review. We’ll update this page if anything changes, and tell clients by email first.