# Customer Referral Follow-Up Playbook | 121 CRM > Handle a referral with permission, transparency and clear ownership for both the referrer and the person referred. A fictional adviser receives Sam’s introduction to Priya by email and waits for Priya’s consent before adding promotional follow-up. This playbook turns that kind of situation into an owned sequence with explicit stop points, exceptions and measures. Use only channels, data and capabilities approved for your setup. ## Referral follow-up: the working sequence Illustrative playbook — names, organisations and activity are fictional. ## Capabilities explained ### Contacts Stores a person or lead with contact details, activity, ownership and related records. **How it works:** Stores or organises supported business data under configured fields, permissions and record rules. **Why a business would use it:** Gives a team one place to understand who a customer is and what has happened. **Limitations:** The platform does not make imported, duplicated or incomplete data accurate without review. **Human responsibility:** A data owner must define the record model and resolve quality, ownership and access exceptions. ### Tasks Creates assigned, dated and optionally recurring actions against contacts or opportunities. **How it works:** Tracks a potential deal, stage, owner or task using configured pipeline and record rules. **Why a business would use it:** Turns the next step into owned work instead of leaving it inside notes or inboxes. **Limitations:** Pipeline position is only reliable when users and workflows update it consistently. **Human responsibility:** A responsible owner must qualify the deal, choose next actions and resolve stale or disputed status. ### Email conversations Sends and receives supported email messages against the customer conversation and contact record. **How it works:** Handles an eligible customer interaction through a configured inbox, number or connected channel. **Why a business would use it:** Keeps email context visible to authorised colleagues rather than one private mailbox. **Limitations:** Delivery, message types, geographic coverage, approval and charges vary by channel and provider. **Human responsibility:** A person must own sensitive conversations, failed delivery and any situation outside the approved script. ### Goals and exits Moves or removes records when the configured outcome or stop condition has been met. **How it works:** Runs an ordered sequence only after its configured trigger and conditions are met. **Why a business would use it:** Helps avoid continuing follow-up after the customer has already acted. **Limitations:** Automation follows its configuration; it cannot repair poor data, unclear rules or an unavailable external service. **Human responsibility:** A process owner must approve, test, monitor and pause or correct faulty automation. ## Begin with a valid trigger, enough context and one owner A referral is received through an approved route with enough context to review contact permission. Before any automated action, confirm that the event, customer record and communication basis are suitable for this playbook. ### Trigger A referral is received through an approved route with enough context to review contact permission. ### Practical scenario A fictional adviser receives Sam’s introduction to Priya by email and waits for Priya’s consent before adding promotional follow-up. ### Accountable owner Name the person or queue that accepts the work, monitors exceptions and can stop the sequence. ## Run the referral follow-up playbook step by step Each step should leave evidence a colleague can understand. Timing and channels should follow the customer context rather than a generic high-pressure cadence. ### 1. Record the source accurately Note who introduced whom and the context without inventing endorsement. ### 2. Check permission to contact Use the introduction method and any explicit consent rather than assuming a referrer can consent for someone else. ### 3. Respond transparently Explain how the details were obtained and what the business can help with. ### 4. Create the owned next step Assign a person to answer or arrange a conversation. ### 5. Respect the outcome Record decline, no contact or progression without pressuring either party. ## Stop the normal route when the facts change Exceptions are part of the process, not failures to be hidden. Route them to a person with the authority and context to decide what happens next. ### No permission or unclear source Ask the referrer to make an introduction or do not contact. ### Incentivised referral Apply the approved terms and disclosure requirements. ### Sensitive need Move to a suitable confidential route with minimal data. ## Measure whether the work became safer and clearer Use measures that reveal ownership, service quality and control. Counts of messages, tasks or workflow runs are supporting signals, not proof of customer value. ### Referrals with documented source and permission Prioritise provenance over quantity. ### Time to appropriate human response Measure useful ownership. ### Declines and data corrections respected Audit repeat contact. ## Frequently asked questions ### When should the referral follow-up playbook start? A referral is received through an approved route with enough context to review contact permission. Confirm the record is eligible and that a named owner or monitored queue is available before allowing customer-facing action. ### Which channels should the referral follow-up playbook use? Use only configured channels that suit the purpose, customer preference and consent position. Give each channel a distinct role and check provider availability and usage charges before launch. ### When should referral follow-up automation stop? Stop when the purpose is complete, the customer responds or opts out, the data conflicts, or an exception needs judgement. In this playbook, pay particular attention to no permission or unclear source, incentivised referral, sensitive need. ### How should we judge whether referral follow-up works? Review referrals with documented source and permission, time to appropriate human response, declines and data corrections respected. Combine the numbers with sampled records and customer context; do not treat activity volume as a business outcome. ## Related CRM pages - [/crm/guides](https://121.direct/crm/guides) - [/crm/guides/customer-follow-up-automation](https://121.direct/crm/guides/customer-follow-up-automation) - [/crm/features/lead-management](https://121.direct/crm/features/lead-management) - [/crm/features/customer-management](https://121.direct/crm/features/customer-management) - [/crm/security-data](https://121.direct/crm/security-data) - [/crm/playbooks/event-follow-up](https://121.direct/crm/playbooks/event-follow-up) This Markdown alternative contains public product information only. It provides no access to CRM accounts, records, credentials or payment execution.