You can ask a customer for a review three common ways in India: a QR code in the shop, an SMS after they leave, or a WhatsApp message. They are not interchangeable. Each one wins at a different moment and loses at others. Here is an honest, channel-by-channel breakdown so you can pick the right one — or the right combination.
The three channels at a glance
QR (in-store)
Captures the moment. Highest intent, no contact data needed, but only works while the customer is physically present.
Near-universal open rates in India. Feels personal. Needs the customer's number and consent to message them.
SMS
Works on every phone, no app required. But it's the most ignored channel — many SMS go straight to a no-reply mental bin.
QR: the moment-of-truth channel
A QR standee on the counter or table catches the customer at peak goodwill — they just had the experience and their phone is already out. Intent is the highest of any channel, and you don't need to collect a phone number or get messaging consent, which keeps things simple under data-protection rules.
The limitation is obvious: it only works in person. If the customer walks out without scanning, the moment is gone. QR rewards good placement and a small nudge from staff — "scan here if you enjoyed it" — far more than people expect.
WhatsApp: the open-rate winner
In India, WhatsApp is where messages actually get read. A review request sent on WhatsApp gets opened where an SMS or email would be ignored. It also feels like a message from a person, not a system, which lifts response rates.
The cost is friction and compliance: you need the customer's number, you need their consent to message them, and business messaging has its own rules and templates. Done respectfully it is powerful. Done as spam it burns goodwill fast.
SMS: the universal fallback
SMS reaches every phone with zero dependencies — no app, no data plan needed. That universality is its only real advantage. Open and click rates are the lowest of the three, and a bare link from an unknown sender reads as spam. SMS works best as a backup for customers you couldn't reach another way.
Which to use for which business
- Walk-in, high-footfall (café, salon, retail): lead with QR. The customer is right there at the best possible moment.
- Appointment or service-based (clinic, repair, home service): WhatsApp follow-up after the job is done, when the result is clear.
- No smartphone or app reluctance: SMS as the fallback so no one is left out.
The honest recommendation
- Start with QR. It's the simplest, has the highest intent, and needs no customer data.
- Add WhatsApp follow-up for the customers you can reach, with clear consent.
- Keep SMS as a catch-all, not your primary play.
WhatsApp gets the open, QR gets the moment, SMS gets the no-reply. Match the channel to where your customers actually are when they're happiest — and don't make them work for it.