diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 38554ba..ce9991d 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { EmitterWebhookEvent } from "@octokit/webhooks";
 import { APIGatewayEvent, APIGatewayProxyResult } from "aws-lambda";
 import { App } from "octokit";
+import { safeOctokitRequest } from "./utils";
 
 const app = new App({
     appId: process.env.APP_ID!,
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ async function run({ payload }: EmitterWebhookEvent<"pull_request">) {
     const octokit = await app.getInstallationOctokit(payload.installation!.id);
 
     if (!payload.pull_request.merged) {
-        await octokit.rest.issues.createComment({
+        await safeOctokitRequest(octokit.rest.issues.createComment, {
             body: "Pull request was closed without merging.",
             issue_number: payload.pull_request.number,
             owner: payload.repository.owner.login,
@@ -44,23 +45,19 @@ async function run({ payload }: EmitterWebhookEvent<"pull_request">) {
         return;
     }
 
-    const { data, status } = await octokit.rest.issues.createComment({
+    const { id: commentId } = await safeOctokitRequest(octokit.rest.issues.createComment, {
         body: "Running `multi-gitter`...",
         issue_number: payload.pull_request.number,
         owner: payload.repository.owner.login,
         repo: payload.repository.name,
     });
 
-    if (!(status >= 200 && status < 300)) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    await octokit.rest.issues.updateComment({
+    await safeOctokitRequest(octokit.rest.issues.updateComment, {
         body: "Done running `multi-gitter`.",
         issue_number: payload.pull_request.number,
         owner: payload.repository.owner.login,
         repo: payload.repository.name,
-        comment_id: data.id,
+        comment_id: commentId,
     });
 
     // check verification status
@@ -71,22 +68,18 @@ async function run({ payload }: EmitterWebhookEvent<"pull_request">) {
 async function verify({ payload }: EmitterWebhookEvent<"pull_request">) {
     const octokit = await app.getInstallationOctokit(payload.installation!.id);
 
-    const { data, status } = await octokit.rest.issues.createComment({
+    const { id: commentId } = await safeOctokitRequest(octokit.rest.issues.createComment, {
         body: "Verifying pull request contents...",
         issue_number: payload.pull_request.number,
         owner: payload.repository.owner.login,
         repo: payload.repository.name,
     });
 
-    if (!(status >= 200 && status < 300)) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    await octokit.rest.issues.updateComment({
+    await safeOctokitRequest(octokit.rest.issues.updateComment, {
         body: "Done verifying.",
         issue_number: payload.pull_request.number,
         owner: payload.repository.owner.login,
         repo: payload.repository.name,
-        comment_id: data.id,
+        comment_id: commentId,
     });
 }
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b6e721
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { RequestError } from "octokit";
+
+function camelCaseToSentenceCase(str: string) {
+    return str.replace(
+        /([a-z])([A-Z])/g,
+        (_, lower: string, upper: string) => `${lower} ${upper.toLowerCase()}`
+    );
+}
+
+// TODO: figure out how to type this to restrict the method to only
+//       those which are available on the `octokit.rest` instance
+
+/**
+ * Calls an Octokit method, logging any errors that occur.
+ *
+ * @param method Octokit method to call
+ * @param params parameters to pass to the method
+ *
+ * @returns the `data` property of the response
+ *
+ * @todo figure out how to type this to restrict the method to only those which are available on the `octokit.rest` instance
+ */
+export async function safeOctokitRequest<Method extends (...args: any[]) => any>(
+    method: Method,
+    ...params: Parameters<Method>
+): Promise<Awaited<ReturnType<Method>>["data"]> {
+    try {
+        const response = await method(params);
+        return response.data;
+    } catch (error) {
+        if (error instanceof RequestError) {
+            console.error(
+                "Failed to %s: got HTTP %s response.",
+                camelCaseToSentenceCase(method.name),
+                error.status
+            );
+        }
+        console.error(error);
+        throw error;
+    }
+}