Effective Date: May 24, 2024
Introduction
This Referral Transfer Policy ("Policy") governs the process by which referrals are transferred between authorized parties ("Partners") within the Our Company ecosystem.This document outlines the eligibility criteria, procedures, and responsibilities of all parties involved. Adherence to this Policy is mandatory for all participating Partners.
This policy ensures a fair and transparent process for all stakeholders involved in the referral lifecycle, from initial lead generation to final conversion.Our goal is to maximize customer satisfaction and partner success by ensuring referrals are handled by the most appropriate party.All partners must acknowledge they have read and understood this policy before participating in the referral program);
Please read these terms carefully before initiating or accepting a referral transfer.
1. Purpose of the Policy
- To establish a clear, consistent, and transparent process for transferring customer referrals between partners.
- To ensure fairness and protect the interests of the customer, the referring partner, and the receiving partner.
- To define the roles, responsibilities, and compensation structure associated with referral transfers.
- To maintain the integrity and value of the Our Company referral network and partner ecosystem.
2. Definitions
Key Terms
Referral: A potential customer introduced to Our Company by a Partner.
• Referring Partner: The Partner who initially generated and submitted the Referral.
• Receiving Partner: The Partner to whom the Referral is being transferred.
• Transfer Request: A formal request submitted by a Partner to transfer a Referral.
• Customer: The individual or entity that is the subject of the Referral.
• Active Referral: A Referral that is currently being pursued by a Partner and has not been closed or become inactive.
• Inactive Referral: A Referral that has not had any meaningful contact or progress for a period of 90 days.
• Territory: The geographical area or market segment assigned to a Partner.
• CRM: Customer Relationship Management system used to track Referrals.
• Commission: The payment due to a Partner upon the successful conversion of a Referral.
• Dispute: A disagreement between Partners regarding a Referral transfer.
• Policy Administrator: The designated Our Company employee or department responsible for overseeing this Policy.
• Confidential Information: Any non-public information related to customers, Referrals, or business operations.
• Agreement: The partnership agreement signed between the Partner and Our Company.
• Business Day: Any day except Saturday, Sunday, or a public holiday.
• Conversion: The point at which a Referral becomes a paying customer.
• Lead: An unqualified contact; a Referral is a qualified Lead.
• Partner Portal: The online system provided for Partners to manage their activities.
• SLA (Service Level Agreement): The agreed-upon timeframes for actions related to Referrals.
• Written Notice: Communication sent via email to the designated contact addresses.
Interpretation
Headings: The headings in this Policy are for convenience only and do not affect its interpretation.
Singular and Plural: Words in the singular include the plural and vice versa.
Including: The word "including" means "including but not limited to."
This applies to all lists and examples provided herein.
No clause shall be limited by the specific examples given.
References: References to clauses are to clauses of this Policy.
Conflict: In the event of a conflict between this Policy and the main Partner Agreement:
i) This Policy will govern matters related to referral transfers.
ii) The Partner Agreement will govern all other matters.
Amendments: Our Company reserves the right to amend this Policy at any time with prior written notice.
3. Eligibility for Transfer
Valid Reason: A transfer request must be based on a valid business reason.
Referral Status: Only Active Referrals are eligible for transfer. Inactive Referrals may not be transferred.
Partner Status: Both the Referring and Receiving Partners must be in good standing with Our Company.
Customer Consent: Where applicable by law or by the nature of the relationship, the customer's consent may be required.
No Open Disputes: There must be no open disputes associated with the Referral in question.
4. Grounds for Transfer
Acceptable grounds for a transfer request include:
Geographic Realignment: The customer is located in the Receiving Partner's designated Territory.
Product Specialization: The Receiving Partner has a required specialization that the Referring Partner lacks.
Customer Request: The customer has explicitly requested to work with a different Partner.
Partner's Request: The Referring Partner is unable to service the Referral due to capacity or other business reasons.
Conflict of Interest: The Referring Partner has a conflict of interest that prevents them from servicing the Referral.
5. Transfer Process
The transfer process is initiated by submitting a formal Transfer Request through the Partner Portal. The request must include:
Referral ID: The unique identifier for the Referral in the CRM.
Reason for Transfer: A detailed explanation citing one of the valid grounds listed in Section 4.
Review and Approval
Submission: The Referring Partner submits the Transfer Request.
Required Information: The request must be complete. Incomplete requests will be rejected.
Partner IDs: Must include IDs for both Referring and Receiving Partners.
Customer Details: Must include full customer contact information.
Acknowledgement: An automated acknowledgement will be sent upon submission.
Approval: The Policy Administrator will review the request.
Timeline: The review will be completed within 5 Business Days.
Criteria: The request will be evaluated against the eligibility criteria in Section 3.
Communication: The decision (approved, denied, or more information required) will be communicated to both Partners.
Finality: The Policy Administrator's decision is final.
Post-Approval
CRM Update: Upon approval, the Referral record will be updated in the CRM and reassigned to the Receiving Partner.
Notification: Both Partners and the customer (if applicable) will be notified of the successful transfer.
Handover: The Referring Partner is expected to facilitate a smooth handover to the Receiving Partner.
Commission Agreement: Any commission-sharing agreements must be documented in the Transfer Request.
Data Transfer: All relevant notes and history associated with the Referral will be transferred.
Timeline: The entire transfer process, from request to completion, should not exceed 10 Business Days.
6. Commission and Compensation
Standard Commission: Unless otherwise agreed, the Receiving Partner will receive the full commission upon Conversion.
Default Split: The default commission split is 100% to the Receiving Partner.
No Double Payment: Our Company will not pay commission to both Partners for the same Conversion.
Payment Terms: Commission payments are subject to the standard terms in the Partner Agreement.
Clawback: Commission may be subject to clawback provisions if the customer cancels within a specified period.
Commission Sharing: If a commission-sharing agreement is made, it must be specified in the Transfer Request and approved by the Policy Administrator.
Written Agreement: The split must be documented in writing.
Approval Required: Any non-standard split requires explicit approval.
Example Splits: Common splits include 50/50 or 75/25, depending on the work performed.
Dispute Resolution: Disputes over commission splits will be mediated by the Policy Administrator.
Payment Processing: Our Company will process payments according to the approved split.
7. Confidentiality
Data Protection: All parties must handle customer and Referral information in compliance with applicable data protection laws.
Non-Disclosure: Information shared during the transfer process is considered Confidential Information under the Partner Agreement.
Use of Information: Customer information may only be used for the purpose of servicing the Referral.
No marketing to transferred leads without consent.
Data must be stored securely.
Access should be restricted to authorized personnel.
Breaches must be reported immediately.
This obligation survives the termination of the Partner Agreement.
Customer Privacy: The customer's privacy must be respected at all times.
8. Dispute Resolution
Any disputes arising from this Policy shall first be addressed through mediation by the Policy Administrator.
9. Limitation of Liability
Our Company is not liable for any loss of profit or business opportunity resulting from a denied transfer request.
10. Governing Law
This Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction specified in the Partner Agreement.
Any legal action or proceeding will be brought exclusively in the courts of that jurisdiction.
11. Contact Information
For questions regarding this Policy, please contact: The Partner Support Team.
Email: partners@ourcompany.com
Phone: 1-800-555-1234
Partner Portal: via the support ticket system in the Partner Portal.
Mailing Address: 123 Partner Way, Business City, 12345
Office Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday.
Response Time: We aim to respond to all inquiries within one Business Day.
Escalation: For urgent matters, please mark your email as "URGENT".
Feedback: We welcome feedback on how to improve this policy.
Policy Administrator Contact: admin@ourcompany.com
Legal Department: legal@ourcompany.com
Emergency Contact: For critical issues, call our 24/7 partner hotline.
Website: www.ourcompany.com/partners