Solar Customer Testimonials: Video and Google Reviews Done Fairly

The safe way to collect solar customer testimonials is one calm, identical ask sent to every commissioned customer a day or two after handover, with nothing offered in return, plus an optional video for a smaller group who sign a written consent form. The shortcuts are what get installers into trouble: a voucher for a review, messaging only the happy customers, a staff target of "five reviews a month". Google's rules and India's advertising rules warn against exactly these.

Picture an installer who has finished plenty of rooftops over three years and whose Google listing still shows four reviews. Every customer was pleased on commissioning day. Nobody wrote anything down. A new enquirer checks the listing, sees a thin page and calls the next installer. (An invented example, but a common pattern.)

This guide covers solar customer testimonials in two forms: written Google reviews and a 60 to 90 second video. You get the timeline after commissioning, the exact WhatsApp messages in English and Hinglish, a phone shot list, a question script, a consent form and a list of what never to do. We read Google's help pages and the Indian government and advertising-council documents on 31 October 2026. Google's pages carry no revision date, so we give the day we read each. This is general information, not legal advice. The messages use placeholders only: no real customer is named anywhere.

What the rules say before you send a single message

Google's Maps contribution policy says contributions "should reflect a genuine experience at a place or business". It lists what a business may not do. Several common solar review habits trip at least one line. The table below puts each rule next to what it means for your WhatsApp message.

The sources are Google's Maps User Generated Content Policy and Business Profile Help pages on tips to get more reviews and review links and QR codes, which calls incentives "strictly prohibited" fake engagement.

Indian rules matter once you reuse a testimonial in your own marketing:

• Government review standard. The Department of Consumer Affairs launched IS 19000:2022 on 21 November 2022, a standard for how platforms collect, moderate and publish online reviews. The PIB release of 21 November 2022 says it "will initially be voluntary". On 15 May 2024 the department consulted on a draft Quality Control Order to make it binding. Its draft prohibitions include editing reviews to alter their message and discouraging negative reviews. We found no notification of a final order on an official page, so check the current status before relying on it. It is aimed at the organisations that publish reviews.
• Endorsements in advertising. The Central Consumer Protection Authority's 9 June 2022 guidelines say an endorsement "must reflect the genuine, reasonably current opinion" of the person making it (para 13). A connection the audience would not expect, which could affect its credibility, must be disclosed (para 14). An advertisement may not refer to a person in a way that gives the product an advantage without their permission (para 12(c)).
• ASCI. The Advertising Standards Council of India's Code, in its October 2026 edition, repeats the permission rule in Chapter I, 1.3. Its AI guidance lists fabricating a testimonial as prohibited even with an AI label. Its influencer guidelines treat free or discounted products and gifts as a material connection that must be disclosed.

The Clean Ask Cycle: three moments, five tests

The Clean Ask Cycle is the frame for this guide. Every customer passes through the same three moments after commissioning. Each message you send passes five tests before the rep presses send. You count the asks you made, and you let the reviews arrive at their own pace.

1. M1

   Handover: say it, do not ask for it

   On commissioning day the rep says one sentence: "I will send you a short message tomorrow with a link, if you would like to share your experience." No review on the spot.

2. M2

   First proper bill: the video moment

   When the first electricity bill after commissioning arrives, the customer can speak from what they have seen. This is when you ask a smaller group for a video, and only with the consent form.

3. M3

   First service visit: the catch-up

   After the first service or AMC visit, send the same Google ask to any customer who was never asked. Never to a chosen few.

The five tests, applied to every message you write:

1. Same words for all. The text does not change with the customer's mood or your guess about their rating.
2. Nothing offered back. No gift, discount, voucher, free service or entry into a draw, now or later.
3. No content requested. No rating number, keyword, subsidy mention or staff name.
4. No pressure. Not on site, not in person with the phone in hand, one reminder at most, and a stop at the first "no".
5. Nobody connected posts. Staff, relatives, vendors and partners stay out.

When to ask: a timeline after commissioning

Timing follows the customer's life, not your sales calendar. The day numbers below are our own working rules, not figures from any rulebook, so adjust them for your town.

The first bill follows your DISCOM's billing cycle and net metering going live, so we give no fixed day. Ask the customer when it is due and set yourself a reminder.

For PM Surya Ghar customers, do not tie the ask to the subsidy. MNRE's July 2025 guidelines release the subsidy through an e-token only after the DISCOM inspection, and say the claim "will be processed within 15 days of approval by the concerned DISCOM". The money therefore lands after handover, and a customer still waiting for it may be anxious. Skipping that customer would be selective asking, so keep them informed and send the same R1.

The Clean Ask check, and why the popular two-step flow fails it

Some review tools and templates promote a two-step flow. First message: "How was your experience?" with buttons such as Great, Okay and Not happy. Only customers who press Great get the Google link. Unhappy customers are routed to a private chat.

That flow breaks Google's rule in plain words: merchants may not "selectively solicit positive reviews from customers" or "discourage" negative ones. The safe version is boring: everyone gets the same link.

You still need a way to hear complaints. Keep it separate from the review ask: give every customer a service number at handover (see our solar after-sales service guide), so a problem reaches you first without you steering anyone away from reviewing.

WhatsApp messages: Google review request, English and Hinglish

First, get the link. Open your Google Business Profile, choose Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and copy the link. Google's page notes that "reviews QR codes can only be generated on a computer browser, not on mobile devices", so do this once on a laptop, copy the link and paste it into your saved message template. The page also says customers can receive requests by WhatsApp. A customer must be signed in to a Google account to post.

Send from the thread the customer already uses with your team for the job. WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy (last updated 23 September 2026, as shown on the page) says you may contact people only if they have given opt-in permission, and that you "must respect all requests" to opt out. Our WhatsApp spam rules guide goes deeper. Every message below therefore ends with a plain way out.

Message R1: the first ask, Day 1 to 3

English:

Hi [Name], this is [Rep] from [Company]. Your [X] kW solar system in [Area] was commissioned on [date].

If you have a minute, we would value your honest Google review of how it went, good or not so good: [link]

No obligation at all. If you would rather not get messages like this, just tell me and I will not send another.

Hinglish:

Namaste [Name] ji, main [Rep], [Company] se. [Area] mein aapka [X] kW solar system [date] ko chalu hua tha.

Agar aapke paas ek minute ho, toh Google par apna sahi anubhav likh dijiye, achha ho ya kam achha: [link]

Koi zabardasti nahi hai. Agar aap aise message nahi chahte, toh bas bata dijiye, main dobara nahi bhejunga.

Message R2: the one reminder, Day 8 to 10

English:

Hi [Name], a gentle reminder about the Google link I sent last week: [link]

Please ignore this if you have already written or would rather not. Thank you for choosing [Company].

Hinglish:

Namaste [Name] ji, pichhle hafte bheje gaye Google link ka ek chhota sa yaad dilana: [link]

Agar aap likh chuke hain ya nahi likhna chahte, toh is message ko ignore kar dijiye. [Company] ko chunne ke liye dhanyavaad.

If the customer replies with a complaint, do not paste the link again. Reply as a service person and fix the problem.

Two reply templates for the public reply box:

Thank you, [first name]. We are glad the [X] kW system in [Area] is working well for you. Our service number is [number] if you ever need us.

Thank you for telling us, [first name]. We are sorry the [issue] was not handled the way it should have been. Please call [Name] on [number] so we can sort it out with you directly.

Never offer a discount in a reply to change a review. For the wider profile setup, see our Google Business Profile guide for solar installers and, for local ranking, the local SEO guide.

Consent before the camera: the form to use

A video testimonial puts a customer's face, voice and home online. Get written consent before you film, with a separate tick for each place you will publish. YouTube's own privacy guidance says: "Get permission before filming other people or posting their personal information", and it treats image, voice, full name and contact details as identifying (YouTube Help, Protecting your identity, read 31 Oct 2026).

Indian data law points the same way. The Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 were announced in a PIB release of 14 November 2025, which says they require "standalone, clear and simple consent notices" that explain the specific purpose, with an 18-month phased timeline. Children's data needs verifiable consent. Our DPDP Act glossary entry explains the terms. Keep the consent form on its own page, not inside the quotation or the contract.

Use a form like this one, and have a lawyer check it before you rely on it.

CUSTOMER VIDEO AND TESTIMONIAL CONSENT FORM

Company: [Company name, address, phone]
Customer: [Full name]            Site area: [Area, City]
Date: [dd/mm]

1. What we will record
Video and audio of you speaking about your experience with our solar
installation. Tick if you also allow video of the outside of your
home, roof or inverter:  [ ] Yes   [ ] No

2. Where we may use it (tick each one you agree to)
[ ] Our website        [ ] Our YouTube channel
[ ] Our Google Business Profile    [ ] Our social media and WhatsApp
[ ] Printed material and exhibitions
[ ] Paid advertisements (this needs its own tick)

3. For how long
Until [date], or until you withdraw consent, whichever is earlier.

4. How it will look
We will show your [first name only / full name] and your [area]. We will
not show your house number, meter number, bank details, documents or
other people's faces. We will cut the video only for length and will
not change what you meant. You may watch the final edit before it is
posted.

5. Bills and numbers
If you mention a saving or show a bill, we may keep a private copy of
that page to check the figures. We will not publish it unless you tick
here:  [ ] Yes   [ ] No

6. No payment or gift
We have not paid you, or given you any gift, discount or favour, for
this video. Your warranty, service and support do not depend on it.

7. Taking it back
You can withdraw this consent at any time by telling [Name] on [number].
We will remove the video from our own channels within [7] days. We
cannot remove copies that other people have already shared.

8. Other people
Only people who have signed this form may appear. A child may appear
only if a parent or guardian signs for them.

Questions or complaints: [Name, phone, email]

Customer signature: ____________    Date: ________
Company representative: [Name] ____________

If the customer is not comfortable reading English, read item 6 and item 7 aloud in their language. In Hinglish: "Is video ke liye humne aapko koi paisa, gift ya discount nahi diya hai. Aap kabhi bhi mana kar sakte hain, aur hum apne channels se video hata denge."

Asking for the video: message V1 and a shot list

The video ask goes to a smaller group, and that is fine. A video is marketing content you control, not a Google review, so selecting people is allowed. Keep the two asks apart: never make the Google ask depend on who agrees to the video, and never offer the video group anything for taking part.

Message V1: the video ask, around the first bill

English:

Hi [Name], your first bills since the system started should be in by now. If you are comfortable, we would like to record a short video (60 to 90 seconds) of you telling other families, in your own words, how it has gone, including anything that was not smooth.

It is entirely optional. There is no payment, gift or discount for it, and nothing is recorded until you sign a one-page consent form, which I will send first. We can film on a phone at your home at a time you choose.

Shall I send the form?

Hinglish:

Namaste [Name] ji, system chalu hone ke baad ab tak aapke pehle bills aa gaye honge. Agar aap comfortable hon, toh hum aapka ek chhota video (60 se 90 second) banana chahte hain, jisme aap apne shabdon mein bataiye ki kaisa raha, jo cheez theek nahi gayi woh bhi.

Yeh bilkul optional hai. Iske liye koi paisa, gift ya discount nahi hai, aur consent form par sign karne se pehle kuch record nahi hoga. Form main pehle bhej dunga. Phone par aapke ghar par, aapke samay par shoot ho jayega.

Kya main form bhej doon?

If they say no, say thank you and stop. Do not follow up.

Phone shot list for 60 to 90 seconds

Phone tips that matter more than any gear:

• Shoot in daylight or shade, with the sun behind the camera, not behind the customer.
• Keep the phone steady on a tripod or a stack of books, at the customer's eye level.
• Film horizontally for YouTube and the website, or vertical if the main use is WhatsApp status or Shorts. Decide before you start.
• Turn off fans and the TV, and test the sound for 10 seconds.
• The rep stands beside the lens and asks the questions. Record about five minutes and edit down.

The question script for a 60 to 90 second testimonial

Open questions get real answers. Closed ones ("Are you happy with savings?") get one word, and leading ones undercut the "genuine, reasonably current opinion" test. Ask each once, in the customer's language, and do not feed answers.

The rep rules while filming:

• Do not suggest numbers ("say it cuts your bill by half"). If the customer gives a saving, a subsidy amount or a payback figure, check it against your own records and the official scheme page before publishing. Re-ask or cut anything you cannot support.
• Let a pause run, and keep an honest awkward answer, such as a delay that was fixed. It makes the rest believable.
• If the customer asks to stop, stop and delete the clip in front of them.

Where the finished video goes, and the claims check

Decide where each cut will live before you film, so the consent form matches.

• Google Business Profile. Google's media page allows videos "up to 30 seconds long", up to 75 MB, at 720p or higher (Manage your Business Profile photos and videos, read 31 Oct 2026). Cut a 30 second version.
• YouTube. Post the full cut with an honest title and your contact in the description. Our YouTube guide for solar installers covers titles and tracing enquiries.
• Your website. Put the clip and quote on a testimonials page. Our guide to what a solar installer's website needs covers the page.
• WhatsApp. A rep can share the clip with an enquirer already talking to you.

Before you publish, run a short claims check. Every figure the customer says is a fact about your product and has to be supported if challenged. The CCPA guidelines say claims about "objectively ascertainable facts shall be capable of substantiation" (para 12(a)). Keep, for each video, a file with the signed form, the raw clip, the bill page if one was shown and a note of who checked the figures and when.

If you want to feature a Google review in an advertisement with the reviewer's name or photo, ask the reviewer first. The permission rule in ASCI Chapter I, 1.3 and CCPA para 12(c) covers references to a person. Quote the reviewer's words exactly, and never trim them to sound better. The 2024 draft order's bar on editing reviews to alter their message is a good habit even before it binds anyone.

What never to do

Some templates that circulate among installers add "a voucher once your review goes live". Delete that line from any template you inherit. Referral rewards are a different matter (see our solar referral guide), but keep the review request out of the referral message.

How QuickEstimate fits

Quickest Solar CRM does not send these messages for you. It gives your team the structure around them: a record of who was asked and when, saved wording, and reminders that tell the rep what to do next. The rep still presses send.

• WhatsApp follow-up: save R1, R2 and V1 as message templates in English and Hinglish, with the Google link already pasted in. The rep opens the lead, picks the template, adjusts the name and sends from WhatsApp.
• Follow-up reminders: set a reminder on the lead for Day 1, Day 8 and the expected first-bill week so no customer is skipped. That keeps the ask the same for everyone.
• Lead stages and labels: add a customisable stage such as "Commissioned" and labels like "R1 sent", "R2 sent" and "Video consent signed". Filter leads by label to see who is due.
• Log activities: record "R1 sent" on a batch of leads at once, and note the outcome of the filming visit on the lead so the owner can read it without asking.

The Free plan covers one user and 10 proposals a month with no card, and Pro is ₹6,999 per user per year with a 3-user minimum (₹20,997 for 3 users), billed yearly with a GST invoice. Details are on the pricing page. Keep signed consent forms in a folder you control, and note on the lead that one is signed.

A small register is enough. This one is illustrative, with made-up codes.

The register does not record whether anyone posted, or what rating they gave. That is on purpose.

What to do this week

• Today: open your Business Profile on a laptop, copy the review link, and save R1 and R2 in English and Hinglish as message templates. Delete any inherited line that offers a gift.
• This week: list every customer commissioned in the last 60 days. Send R1 to all of them, in the same words. Send R2 only to those who did not reply, and stop at one reminder.
• This month: print the consent form, ask for a video from two customers whose first bill has come, film with the shot list, and keep one file per video.

Frequently asked questions

Can I give a discount or gift to customers who write a Google review?

No. Google's contribution policy bars merchants from offering "payment, discounts, free goods and/or services" for a review, and the Business Profile Help page calls incentives "strictly prohibited" fake engagement. Such reviews can be removed. If you use the testimonial in an advertisement, a gift may also be a material connection you would have to disclose under the CCPA guidelines and ASCI's influencer guidelines.

Can I ask only my happiest customers for reviews?

No. Google lists "selectively solicit positive reviews from customers" among things merchants may not do. Send the same request to every commissioned customer. You may choose a smaller group for a video testimonial, because that is your own marketing content, but keep the Google ask separate and the same for all.

Do I need written consent to film a customer's home?

We advise written consent every time. YouTube's help page says to "get permission before filming other people or posting their personal information", and a face, a voice and a home address identify a person. Indian rules on advertising and personal data also point to permission. This is general advice, not legal advice; ask a lawyer to check your form.

How do I get my Google review link and QR code?

Open your Business Profile, choose Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and copy the link or save the QR code. Google says review QR codes currently "can only be generated on a computer browser, not on mobile devices". Customers need to be signed in to a Google account to post.

How long should a customer testimonial video be?

60 to 90 seconds is enough for a YouTube or website cut. A Business Profile video may be only up to 30 seconds long, 75 MB and 720p or higher according to Google, so make a 30 second version from the same footage.

Can my sales rep or a family member post a review for us?

No. Google treats content based on a conflict of interest, such as current or former employment or a family relationship, as rating manipulation. Staff, relatives, vendors and partners should not post for you, and you should not ask your staff to solicit a set number of reviews.

What if a customer posts a negative review?

Reply in public, briefly and politely, offer a direct number and fix the issue offline. Do not offer anything to change or delete the review, which Google prohibits. If you believe the review breaks Google's content policies, you can flag it. Otherwise it stays.

Can I use a customer's Google review in my own advertisement?

Quote the words exactly, and ask the reviewer first if you name them or show their photo. ASCI Chapter I, 1.3 and CCPA para 12(c) require permission for references to a person that give your product an advantage. Never edit a review to say more than it did.