> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.detailahead.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Running a referral program with DetailAhead
> Set up a customer referral program with a percentage or fixed reward, share your referral link, and track every referral and reward from the Referrals dashboard.
Word-of-mouth is the most cost-effective marketing a detailer can do — and a referral program makes it systematic. DetailAhead's Referrals feature gives every customer their own referral code. When they share it and a new customer books using that code, the referrer earns a reward you define. You track every referral, see exactly who brought who in, and mark rewards as issued once the job is done and paid.
## How the referral program works
Every customer in your DetailAhead account has a unique referral code on their profile. When the referral program is active, you share these codes with customers — via a booking confirmation message, a follow-up text, or just by word of mouth. When a new customer books using one of those codes, the referral is recorded and the referrer earns your set reward.
Click **Referrals** in the left sidebar to open the Referrals page.
In the **Program setup** card, toggle **Program active** on.
Select either **Percentage discount** (e.g. 15% off their next booking) or **Fixed credit** (e.g. £20 off). Choose whichever fits your pricing model and feels like a meaningful thank-you to your regulars.
Enter the reward amount. For a percentage reward, enter the number without the % sign (e.g. `15`). For a fixed credit, enter the monetary amount (e.g. `20`).
Click **Save changes**. The program is now live. Share customers' referral codes with them — the best time is right after a job, when satisfaction is highest. You can include a referral code reminder in your post-job follow-up automation message.
## Tracking referrals
The **Referral activity** table at the bottom of the Referrals page shows you a full log of every referral, newest first:
| Column | What it shows |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Referrer** | The existing customer who shared their code — links to their customer profile |
| **Referred** | The new customer who used the code to book |
| **Date** | When the referral was recorded |
| **Status** | **Pending** (reward not yet issued) or **Rewarded** (reward has been issued) |
| **Reward** | The reward value at the time the referral was made |
If you haven't received any referrals yet, the table shows an empty state with a reminder that every customer has a referral code on their profile.
## Issuing rewards
Rewards start with a **Pending** status. Once the referred customer's order is completed and paid, find the referral row and click **Mark as rewarded** to update the status to **Rewarded**. This is a manual step, giving you the flexibility to apply the discount at whatever point in your payment flow makes sense — whether that's against their next invoice, as a credit note, or via a discount at checkout.
Mention the referral program in your **Booking confirmation** automation message so every new customer hears about it immediately after booking. You can also include a reminder in your **Post-job follow-up** message to nudge happy customers to share their code while the experience is fresh. See [Automation](/features/automation) for how to set those messages up.
Each customer's referral code is generated automatically by DetailAhead and visible on their customer profile page. You don't need to create or manage codes manually.