You’ve received a complaint — now you’re stuck on what to say next. Should you defend, explain, or apologize?
You’re searching for the right way to respond to a complaint that feels fair and respectful. As soon as you open this article, your problem is solved.
Complaints can come in many forms — emails, reviews, face-to-face, or social media messages — and each one requires a thoughtful, specific response.
A good reply can turn frustration into trust. Whether you’re handling customer service, team feedback, or even personal criticism, this guide gives you over 120 powerful ways to respond with clarity, care, and confidence.
Formal Ways to Respond to a Complaint
Use these respectful and professional replies in business settings or official communications.
- Thank you for bringing this to our attention
- We’re sorry you had a negative experience
- Your feedback is very important to us
- We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience
- We appreciate your patience as we investigate
- We regret that this occurred
- Our team is currently reviewing the matter
- Please accept our sincerest apologies
- We understand your concern and are taking it seriously
- We aim to resolve this promptly
- We’re committed to finding a solution
- Your comments have been shared with management
- We are actively looking into your concern
- We’re working to prevent this from happening again
- We value your business and your feedback
- This is not the experience we want you to have
- Thank you for helping us improve
- We take all complaints seriously and will respond shortly
- We’re reviewing your case in detail
- Our apologies for any confusion or misunderstanding
- Thank you for your honesty and direct feedback
- We acknowledge the mistake and are taking responsibility
- We’re here to make things right
- Please allow us time to address the issue
- We’re taking corrective steps internally
- We apologize for falling short of expectations
- Our customer experience team has been informed
- We are implementing changes to prevent a repeat
- We regret any inconvenience this has caused
- A member of our team will follow up with you directly
Informal Ways to Respond to a Complaint
Use these friendly and casual replies in personal conversations or less formal settings.
- Oh no, I’m really sorry about that
- That totally makes sense — let me fix it
- I hear you — thanks for telling me
- Didn’t mean to upset you — let’s sort it out
- Yikes, that sounds frustrating
- I can see how that wasn’t ideal
- Thanks for being honest about that
- Sorry about that, I’ll do better next time
- Noted! I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again
- I appreciate you saying something
- I’ll get that fixed right away
- Yeah, that wasn’t cool — my bad
- Thanks for your patience
- Let me know how I can make it up to you
- I messed up, and I’m sorry
- I really want to make this right
- That feedback helps a lot
- I totally understand your frustration
- I appreciate the heads-up
- You’re right, that shouldn’t have happened
- Thanks for letting me know — I’ll handle it
- I’ll sort this out ASAP
- Your message means a lot
- That’s fair, and I’ll improve
- I didn’t realize — I’ll fix it
- Sorry again, I want to do better
- Let me take care of that for you
- Thanks — I’m listening
- You didn’t deserve that experience
- I’m on it now
Idiomatic Ways to Respond to a Complaint
These expressive or figurative replies help add empathy or personality to your response.
- I dropped the ball on that one
- That one’s on us — no excuses
- We hear you loud and clear
- Let’s clear the air
- I’m here to make things right
- We’re putting our heads together on this
- We’re going back to the drawing board
- Thanks for shining a light on that
- I know that left a bad taste — sorry
- We don’t want this to slip through the cracks
- That flew under our radar — won’t happen again
- I know this hit a nerve — and I get it
- We’re hitting pause to address this
- You called us out, and we’re grateful
- It’s time we stepped up
- We dropped the ball — now we’ll pick it up
- I know we missed the mark
- You spoke up, and now we’re taking action
- It’s time to turn this ship around
- Let’s right this wrong
- We’re putting this front and center
- We don’t want to sweep this under the rug
- It’s a wake-up call — thank you
- You’ve helped us catch a blind spot
- We’re going to patch this up
- This won’t get brushed aside
- We’re turning feedback into change
- We’re fixing the cracks before they spread
- We’re owning up — and fixing it
- You held us accountable, and we respect that
Professional Ways to Respond to a Complaint
Use these polished and tactful responses in workplace emails, client interactions, or service recovery.
- Thank you for your message — I’ll look into this right away
- I appreciate your feedback and understand your concern
- I’m sorry this happened — let’s resolve it together
- I’ll escalate this to the appropriate team
- This is a priority for us now
- Please allow me to correct the issue
- I’m committed to making this right
- Let’s connect further to resolve this
- I appreciate your honesty and will follow up shortly
- We want to earn back your trust
- I’d like to offer a resolution
- I understand where you’re coming from
- Your experience matters — we’ll fix this
- I’ll circle back once I’ve investigated
- I’d like to better understand what happened
- I’m here to help resolve this
- Thank you for bringing this to our attention early
- Let me gather all the details and get back to you
- This is not the standard we aim for
- I value your input and want to improve
- I’ll ensure the team is aware of this concern
- We’ll use your feedback for training and review
- I’m reviewing the matter and will update you soon
- Please know we’re taking this seriously
- Let’s work together on a solution
- I’m open to your suggestions
- Our goal is to improve through feedback
- Thank you for giving us the opportunity to improve
- We’re taking the necessary steps internally
- Please accept our apologies and our commitment to better service
Conclusion
Knowing how to respond to a complaint is a skill that builds trust, shows professionalism, and opens the door to improvement.
Whether you’re replying formally, casually, or professionally, the right response can calm emotions and shift the conversation toward a solution.
With these 120+ ready-to-use phrases, you’ll never be lost for words again. Listen closely, respond kindly, and grow through every complaint.
