Frequently Asked Questions
Thinking about referral software for your business? You’re not alone. Below, we’ve answered the most common questions home service pros, sales teams, and marketers ask about Get The Referral, referral marketing, referral tracking, referral rewards, and more.
From setup and onboarding to how referrals and rewards actually work, you’ll find straightforward answers here.
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Find Your Answers Below
We also have a comprehensive GTR Knowledgebase that provides deeper insight into our products and services.
Getting Started with GTR
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What is Get The Referral (GTR)?
GTR is a referral marketing platform designed for home services companies. It includes a branded mobile app for your customers, a Sales Rep App for your team, an Admin Dashboard to track referrals, and the GTR Wallet to payout and manage rewards. A complete referral hub to grow your business.
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How long does onboarding take?
You can usually access the app in the App/Play Store within 3 business days. From there, we’ll guide you through the full implementation process, including integrations and staff training, which on average takes about 2 weeks. The exact timeline depends on your team’s availability and the timeliness of deliverables, but our goal is to make the process as smooth and straightforward as possible.
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When does my subscription start?
Billing begins at contract signing and the start of onboarding, not when your app goes live. The faster your team completes the steps, the faster your program launches.
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Does GTR offer a free trial?
No, GTR does not offer Free trials. The platform is not an out-of-the-box solution. Rather, it is customized based on your business (colors, logos, CRM type/integrations, etc). Due to the amount of specialized work we complete just for you, an exchange of value is assigned starting when you sign the contract.
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Why is there an annual contract?
Successful referral programs need at least 6 months to scale. Larger home services projects often take 1–2 months to close, so an annual agreement ensures that your team has the time needed to see results and a real ROI.
Referrals & Rewards
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How does the referral process work?
Customers (Advocates) submit referrals directly through your branded app or a GTR referral form. Your sales team receives the referral, tracks it in the Dashboard, and updates the status from lead → estimate → sold. Advocates automatically see the progress.
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What is an advocate?
An advocate is anyone who refers someone to your company. Most companies focus on customers as their primary advocates, which is a great place to start! At GTR, we expand upon that to include staff/employees, friends, family, partners, non-competing businesses, and more. A strong advocate base means more referrals, more consistently.
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How are referral rewards paid?
Rewards are managed through the GTR Wallet, powered by XTRM. You can pay Advocates with cash, prepaid debit cards, or 200+ digital gift cards. Rewards can be automated and tracked within the Dashboard.
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What rewards do other contractors use?
Best practices vary, but most companies pay one reward at referral verification (usually at the initial inspection appoinment), and then a larger payout once the job is sold. Many add bonus tiers for multiple referrals.
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Are there limits to referrals and/or advocates?
No. Every GTR subscription plan comes with unlimited referrals and unlimited advocates. If you'd like to increase the number of sales seats that your company has with GTR, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager (CSM). They'll be happy to assist you.
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Is this like a pyramid scheme or MLM?
No. GTR is a legitimate SaaS company with a referral marketing platform built around real products and services.
MLM (aka Multi-Level Marketing) or Network Marketing relies upon direct sales of products by independent business owners or independent consultants.
Pyramid schemes (aka Ponzi schemes) rely on recruitment of people without a product, which is illegal in the USA.
Integration & Technology
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Does GTR integrate with my CRM?
Yes. GTR integrations can be done via CRM, API, and Zapier. We have successfully integrated with several CRMs, including Salesforce, HubSpot, Leap, and many more. We provide support throughout your onboarding process to ensure your Referral Hub is set up for optimal results.
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Is the app setup complicated?
No. Our Customer Success team does the heavy lifting. You’ll provide brand assets and program details, and we configure your app, dashboard, and referral workflows for you.
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How does GTR compare to CRM software?
Unlike CRMs, GTR isn’t just a database. It’s a revenue-generating tool that mobilizes your customers to send referrals and keeps your sales team engaged.
Security & Compliance
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Is GTR secure?
Yes. GTR is built with enterprise-grade security and works with trusted partners (like XTRM for payments). All referral and payout data is encrypted and trackable.
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Can GTR prevent fraudulent referrals?
GTR doesn’t automatically block fraud, but Admins can set program rules, manually approve referrals, and track patterns through the Dashboard.
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Does GTR provide consent compliance?
GTR offers tools that aid in the ability to gather consent*, and turn referrals into highly qualified leads, with higher close rates, with less price sensitivity and fewer competitors in the mix.
*GetTheReferral does not provide legal advice, compliance services, or representations that use of the Consent Tools will result in compliance with the TCPA or any other law. See our terms of service for more information.
Sales Rep & Team Adoption
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How do we ensure sales reps use the app?
We provide kickoff training sessions for your entire team. We also recommend:
- Contests and/or leaderboards (who signs up the most Advocates).
- Setting a Referral Champion inside your company.
- Using the Sales Rep App to make it easy for reps to submit referrals.
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What if our team doesn’t promote the app?
We coach your team with proven adoption strategies, and the Dashboard makes it easy to track usage. Clients who appoint a Referral Champion see the fastest results.
Homeowner Adoption
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How do we get homeowners to download the app?
We recommend incorporating your referral program into every part of your sales process. This involves inviting homeowners to download the app (to submit referrals and receive rewards) at appointments, in emails, via text, and more. Contractors who promote at point-of-sale see the highest adoption.
We provide training for your team and offer rebranded marketing materials, including flyers, videos, social media graphics, and more (at additional cost). -
What happens if homeowners don’t want to download an app?
With GTR’s Referral Boost tool, you can collect referrals through branded forms sent via email or text. Referrals can also be collected online via your referral form. This makes it easy to capture referrals from day one. Successful referrals will be rewarded inside the app, allowing Advocates to claim their rewards by downloading it at their convenience.
Support & Training
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What kind of support do we get?
Every GTR customer is paired with a Customer Success Manager for onboarding, training, and growth support. We also offer knowledge base articles, webinars, and branded marketing assets.
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Does GTR offer marketing assets?
Yes. GTR offers various branded marketing assets that include branded flyers, videos, and social media graphics - making it easy to launch and scale your program.
Results & ROI
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How soon will we see results?
Most clients see their first referrals within days of launch, and many generate enough referral revenue to cover their GTR subscription multiple times over within the first 6-12 months.
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What’s the average cost per lead (CPL) with GTR?
Results vary by GTR client and job size/pricing. Some GTR clients average around $28 per referral lead compared to $100–$385 industry averages for paid leads. Referral leads also close at 50–70% vs. 20–30% for purchased leads.