A client threatened to “ruin my reputation” unless I refunded a non-refundable deposit.

Then came the one-star Google review and the plot twist that made my reputation stronger.

Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie!

In this episode I share the whole story, how I responded, and what to put in place so one angry client can’t tank your business.

If you’re a website designer or dev who’s ever ignored red flags (yep, me too), this one’s for you.

Skip to the good bits:

00:00 "Client Conflicts and Resilience"

06:15 "One-Star Reviews Often Misleading"

09:00 "Responding to a 1-Star Review"

11:39 "Phoenix Program: Transform Your Career"

When a client threatens to ruin your reputation, here’s the exact playbook to protect your brand and flip the narrative—fast.

For web designers/developers dealing with scope creep, 1-star bombs, and refund pressure.

Handle non-refundable deposits without panic

What to write under a 1-star review

Turn a bad review into social proof on LinkedIn

Red flags: endless meetings, too many stakeholders

Boundaries in contracts & terms that actually hold

Chapters:

00:00 When a client threatens your reputation (nightmare setup)

02:00 ‘Go-away pricing’, red flags & endless meetings

05:00 Stalemate, terms, and the non-refundable deposit

06:15 The threat + the 1-star review hits

08:18 Posting it on LinkedIn—community flips the script

10:00 Why it strengthened my reputation

12:00 Lessons: boundaries, meetings, and saying no

13:00 Phoenix Programme can help with this

My site: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk

Phoenix Programme: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/phoenix-programme

Podcast page: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/podcast