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Referral Leaders Documentation

Menu Location: Reports > Customers > Referrals > Referral Leaders

Access Level: Manager and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

The Referral Leaders page displays your top referrers ranked by number of successful referrals. This "all-star" leaderboard helps you identify your most valuable brand ambassadors and reward them appropriately for driving new customer acquisition.

Primary Functions:

  • View top referrers ranked by referral count
  • Track referral conversion rates
  • Identify brand ambassadors worth rewarding
  • Calculate referral program ROI
  • Export referral leader data for recognition programs

Page Layout

Header Section

  • Page Title: "Referral Leaders - All Stars"
  • Date Range Selector: Filter leaderboard by time period
  • Minimum Referrals Filter: Show only customers with X+ referrals
  • Export Button: Download referral leaders list

Leaderboard Table

Ranked list of top referrers with columns:

  • Rank
  • Customer Name (clickable to customer detail)
  • Email
  • Total Referrals
  • Successful Referrals (converted to orders)
  • Conversion Rate
  • Revenue from Referrals
  • Referral Credits Earned
  • Last Referral Date

Summary Statistics

  • Total referrals from all leaders
  • Average conversion rate
  • Total revenue from referrals
  • Total credits awarded

Leaderboard Metrics

Total Referrals

Number of times this customer's referral code was used or referred friend signed up.

Includes:

  • Completed signups using referral code
  • Manual referral credits given by admin
  • Referrals from "Tell a Friend" feature

Does Not Include:

  • Incomplete signups
  • Referrals that never placed an order

Successful Referrals

Referrals that converted to paying customers (placed at least one order).

Calculation: Count of referred customers who have completed at least one paid order.

Why It Matters: Success is more valuable than total signups. Focus on conversion quality.

Conversion Rate

Percentage of referrals that became paying customers.

Formula: (Successful Referrals ÷ Total Referrals) × 100

Examples:

  • 10 total referrals, 8 ordered = 80% conversion rate
  • 50 total referrals, 30 ordered = 60% conversion rate

Good Benchmark: 50%+ conversion rate indicates quality referrals

Revenue from Referrals

Total lifetime value of all successfully referred customers.

Calculation: Sum of all orders from customers referred by this person.

Use Cases:

  • Calculate referral ROI
  • Determine bonus/reward amounts
  • Identify most valuable referrers

Referral Credits Earned

Total account credit given to referrer based on your referral program rules.

Common Programs:

  • $10 credit per successful referral
  • $25 credit when referee places 3rd order
  • Percentage of referee's first order
  • Tiered rewards (5 referrals = $75, 10 = $200)

Using Referral Leaders

Viewing the Leaderboard

Steps:

  1. Navigate to Reports > Customers > Referrals > Referral Leaders
  2. Select date range (All Time, This Year, Last 90 Days, Custom)
  3. Set minimum referral threshold (e.g., "5+ referrals only")
  4. Leaderboard displays ranked by total successful referrals
  5. Click customer name to view their customer detail page

Sorting Options:

  • By total referrals (default)
  • By successful referrals
  • By conversion rate
  • By revenue generated
  • By credits earned

Filtering the Leaderboard

Date Range Filters:

  • All Time: Since referral program began
  • This Year: January 1 to present
  • This Quarter: Current quarter
  • Last 90 Days: Rolling 3-month window
  • Last 30 Days: Most recent month
  • Custom: Specify exact date range

Minimum Referrals Filter:

  • Show only customers with 3+ referrals
  • Show only customers with 5+ referrals
  • Show only customers with 10+ referrals
  • Custom minimum threshold

Status Filters:

  • Active referrers only
  • Include cancelled customers
  • Current customers only

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Monthly Top Referrer Rewards

Goal: Identify and reward this month's top 3 referrers

Steps:

  1. Set date range to "Last 30 Days"
  2. Sort by successful referrals
  3. View top 3 customers
  4. Click each customer name to open their account
  5. Add account credit as reward (e.g., $50 for #1, $30 for #2, $20 for #3)
  6. Send personal thank you email
  7. Add note documenting the reward

Sample Reward Tiers:

  • 1st Place: $50 credit + feature in newsletter
  • 2nd Place: $30 credit
  • 3rd Place: $20 credit
  • Honorable Mentions (4-10): $10 credit

Use Case 2: Quarterly Ambassador Program

Goal: Invite top referrers to exclusive ambassador program

Steps:

  1. Set date range to "This Quarter"
  2. Set minimum referrals to 5+
  3. Export leaderboard
  4. Review top 20 referrers
  5. Send invitation to exclusive ambassador program
  6. Offer special perks:
    • Early access to new products
    • Exclusive discount code
    • Free monthly add-on
    • Feature on website/social

Ambassador Criteria:

  • 5+ successful referrals this quarter
  • 60%+ conversion rate
  • Active subscription status
  • Positive customer service history

Use Case 3: Referral Program ROI Analysis

Goal: Calculate return on investment for referral program

Steps:

  1. Set date range to "This Year"
  2. Export leaderboard with all data
  3. Calculate totals:
    • Total revenue from referrals
    • Total credits awarded
    • Customer acquisition cost (credits ÷ successful referrals)
  4. Compare to other acquisition channels
  5. Present findings to management

Sample Analysis:

  • Revenue from referrals: $125,000
  • Credits awarded: $8,500
  • CAC via referrals: $17 per customer
  • CAC via ads: $45 per customer
  • Conclusion: Referrals are 2.6x more cost-effective

Use Case 4: Re-Engage Lapsed Top Referrers

Goal: Bring back customers who were great referrers but cancelled

Steps:

  1. Set date range to "All Time"
  2. Sort by successful referrals (descending)
  3. Filter to include cancelled customers
  4. Identify top 20 cancelled customers with 3+ referrals
  5. Send personalized win-back campaign:
    • Acknowledge their past support
    • Offer return incentive
    • Remind them of changes/improvements
    • Make it personal

Email Template: "Hi [Name], we noticed you were one of our amazing referral champions with [X] friends joining because of you! We've made some exciting changes and would love to have you back..."

Use Case 5: Social Proof & Marketing Content

Goal: Feature top referrers in marketing materials

Steps:

  1. View all-time leaderboard
  2. Identify top 5 referrers
  3. Contact for permission to feature their story
  4. Gather testimonials and photos
  5. Create marketing content:
    • "Customer Spotlight" blog posts
    • Social media features
    • Email newsletter stories
    • Website testimonial page

Content Ideas:

  • "Meet Sarah: Our #1 Referrer Who's Shared the Love with 27 Friends"
  • Video testimonial from top referrer
  • Referrer success stories on Instagram
  • "Why Our Customers Can't Stop Talking About Us" campaign

Report Data & Columns

Leaderboard Columns

Column Description Example
Rank Position on leaderboard 1, 2, 3...
Customer Name Referrer's full name Sarah Johnson
Email Contact email [email protected]
Phone Contact phone (if available) (555) 123-4567
Status Customer status Active, Cancelled
Total Referrals Number of signups from referrals 15
Successful Referrals Referrals who placed orders 12
Conversion Rate Success percentage 80%
Total Revenue Revenue from referred customers $2,450
Credits Earned Referral rewards given $120
Last Referral Date of most recent referral 2026-02-20
Join Date When referrer became customer 2024-03-15

Export & Download Options

Export Formats

  • CSV: Import into spreadsheet
  • PDF: Print-friendly leaderboard
  • Excel: Formatted workbook with charts

Export Process

Steps:

  1. Apply desired filters (date range, minimum referrals)
  2. Click "Export" button
  3. Choose format (CSV, PDF, Excel)
  4. Download file
  5. Opens in appropriate application

What's Included:

  • All visible leaderboard data
  • Summary statistics
  • Export date and filters applied
  • Company branding (PDF only)

Troubleshooting

Referral Counts Seem Low

Symptoms:

  • Expected more referrals for certain customers
  • Known referrals not showing
  • Counts don't match customer's claims

Check:

  1. Verify correct date range selected
  2. Check if referrals occurred outside selected period
  3. Confirm referral codes were actually used (not just word-of-mouth)
  4. Verify referred customers completed signup
  5. Check if manual referral credits were recorded

Common Causes:

  • Informal referrals not tracked (no code used)
  • Referrals before tracking system implemented
  • Referred customer used different signup method
  • Date range too restrictive

Revenue Totals Don't Match Expectations

Symptoms:

  • Revenue seems too high or low
  • Doesn't match manual calculations

Explanation: Revenue includes lifetime value of referred customers, not just first order. Long-time referred customers accumulate significant value.

Verification:

  1. Click referrer's name to view customer detail
  2. Review referred customers list
  3. Check each referee's lifetime value
  4. Sum manually to verify

Conversion Rates Confusing

Symptoms:

  • Some customers show 0% conversion
  • Rates seem inconsistent

Understanding:

  • 0% conversion: All referrals signed up but none ordered yet
  • 100% conversion: Every referred signup placed orders
  • Low conversion (<30%): Many signups, few orders (quality concern)
  • High conversion (>70%): Strong referrals from engaged friends

What to Do:

  • Low conversion: Investigate referred customer experience
  • High conversion: Learn what this referrer does right
  • 0% conversion: Follow up with recent signups
  • Referrals (admin-referrals.php) - All referral activity and details
  • Referral Leaderboard (apps#referral_leaderboard) - Gamified public leaderboard
  • Customers (customers.php) - Customer search and management
  • Tell a Friend (tell) - Customer-facing referral tool

Typical Workflow:

  1. Review Referral Leaders monthly
  2. Identify top 3-5 referrers
  3. Reward with account credits
  4. Send thank you communication
  5. Track referral program ROI
  6. Adjust rewards based on performance

Permissions & Access

Required Access Level: Manager or higher

Access Level Capabilities:

  • Customer Service: View only (no export or rewards)
  • Manager: View, export, and award referral credits
  • Administrator: All features + edit referral program settings
  • Kiva Admin: All features + referral system configuration

Best Practices

Regular Recognition

  1. Monthly Review: Check leaderboard monthly
  2. Timely Rewards: Award credits within days of achievement
  3. Personal Touch: Send personalized thank you messages
  4. Public Recognition: Feature top referrers (with permission)

Program Optimization

  1. Track Trends: Monitor conversion rates over time
  2. Adjust Rewards: Test different reward amounts
  3. Quality Over Quantity: Value high-conversion referrers
  4. Remove Barriers: Make referring easy and attractive

Relationship Building

  1. Know Your Champions: Build relationships with top referrers
  2. Ask for Feedback: Top referrers know why they love you
  3. VIP Treatment: Give extra care to top referrers
  4. Exclusive Access: Offer perks beyond credits

Data-Driven Decisions

  1. Calculate CAC: Compare referral CAC to other channels
  2. ROI Analysis: Measure program profitability
  3. A/B Testing: Test reward structures
  4. Trend Analysis: Identify patterns in successful referrers

Quick Reference Card

Task Action/Location
View all-time top referrers Date Range: "All Time"
See this month's leaders Date Range: "Last 30 Days"
Find customers with 5+ referrals Minimum Referrals: 5+
Reward top 3 referrers Sort by successful referrals > View top 3 > Add credits
Export leaderboard Click "Export" > Choose format
View referrer's details Click customer name in leaderboard
Calculate referral ROI Export > Sum revenue & credits > Calculate
Find lapsed top referrers Include cancelled > Sort by referrals

FAQs

How are referrals tracked?

Referrals are tracked when a new customer uses a referral code during signup or when referred customer is manually linked by admin.

What counts as a "successful" referral?

A successful referral is one where the referred customer placed and completed at least one paid order.

Can I manually add referrals?

Yes, administrators can manually credit referrals in the customer's account or through the Referrals page.

How often is the leaderboard updated?

The leaderboard updates in real-time. Refresh the page to see latest referrals.

What if two customers have the same number of referrals?

Ties are broken by total revenue from referrals (higher revenue ranks higher). If still tied, earlier join date wins.

Can cancelled customers still appear on the leaderboard?

Yes, use the status filter to include or exclude cancelled customers. Their past referrals still count.

How do I contact top referrers?

Click the customer name to open their customer detail page, where you can see contact info and send emails.

Should I reward quantity or quality of referrals?

Both matter. Consider rewarding based on successful referrals (quality) rather than total referrals (quantity). High conversion rates indicate genuine recommendations.

What's a good referral conversion rate?

50-70% is good. Below 30% may indicate low-quality referrals. Above 80% indicates excellent word-of-mouth.

Can I see which customers each person referred?

Yes, click the customer name to view their detail page, then look for the "Referred Customers" section.

Change Log

2026-03-01

  • Initial documentation created
  • Documented leaderboard metrics and calculations
  • Added use cases for rewards and recognition
  • Created troubleshooting guide
  • Added best practices for referral program management

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.