Stop bashing clients on LinkedIn

16 May 2025 Reading Time: 3 minutes

by Dustin Siggins:

The first rule of communications is to avoid self-inflicted injuries…so why do so many communications industry owners, executives, and thought leaders bash their clients on LinkedIn?

As reasonable as it might seem to vent steam sometimes, it’s best to keep this bad habit confined to the occasional happy-hour private gripe. Otherwise, we’re courting toxic company culture, reduced brand reputation and trust, and clients and staff running for the door.

Constructive criticism is good – gossip is bad

My friend Lee Densmer, a marketing agency owner, says, “Badmouthing your clients publicly, even anonymously, does nothing to make you look good, and it may even signal to clients what you’re like to work with.”

Sure, you might get some sympathy or have a viral post when you relate a particularly juicy client tale of woe – but remember that potential clients are also seeing that story. And they’re wondering if you’ll spread their flaws all across social media, too.

Constructive criticism is part of client management. If they aren’t uncomfortable, they aren’t going to learn.But there’s a huge difference between constructive criticism and hurling abuse at the people who enable you to put food on the table every day.

People want to work with forward-looking leaders

Nobody wants to work with negativity. It makes for a toxic culture that dumps team members in the meat grinder, creating short tenures, worse outcomes for clients, and issues for the company.

And if you vent online – the 21st-century version of airing your dirty laundry – you can guarantee that the best people will shy away from your job openings.

“People are looking to agency leaders for cues about navigating challenges and handling frustrations,” said Candor President Ally Glavas. “Turning challenges into learning opportunities for the team sets a positive tone and helps people do great work. By focusing on the positives, agency executives will be seen as mentors and partners – rather than merely ‘bosses.’”

We all need to vent, but doing it privately – or quietly, or even with a bit of an eye towards self-awareness – builds a culture where people know that the boss is looking forward to a bright future, not backwards with a cynical and self-destructive eye.

Bashing clients means missing profit

You can’t always fix ignorance. (Just ask my wife when she tries to explain why the couches should be moved just the right way.) But most of the time, ignorance is an opportunity for education, leading up, and campaign success.

Even better, in business, that repair work can blossom into new, renewed, and bigger contracts.

“Clients hire PR teams to be experts – it’s not just about getting them media coverage,” said The Colab Cofounder Lizzy Harris. “When you dig into most problems, you find that it’s firm, not the client, that failed to set expectations and transparently manage up. If clients are peppering you with questions – maybe they’re getting pressure from higher-ups. If they are frustrated, maybe they were expecting different outcomes.

“Agency leaders must get ahead of this by providing constant communication and by understanding what’s going on beneath the client’s hood,” Harris concluded.

Think about it this way: Which PR partner will a client prefer to return to? The one who plodded through the contract (and grumbled about it the whole time, privately and publicly)?

No, you want your clients to think of your agency as the invaluable partner that taught them PR and created successes they didn’t know were possible.

Does public griping drive value?

Comms people always talk about the value we drive. I guarantee we drive more value through positivity than griping and complaining.

“Bashing or complaining for the sake of complaining is a bad look,” said Strategic Global Media President Scott Merritt. “Instead, challenge yourself to find the silver lining in that dark cloud of experience to turn a complaint into an opportunity to educate others. You’ll come out the other side having bolstered your brand by demonstrating the wisdom and insights you bring to the table.”

We’re already facing an uphill battle, where PR is often seen as a “nice to have.” Those who publicly complain do themselves and the rest of us zero favors, because negative mindsets mean:

* Spending mental energy criticizing instead of educating.

* Viewing clients who are paying you money as the enemy instead of allies.

* Building resentment instead of trust.

And none of that is going to drive profit.

Bashing clients violates a core tenet of Comms 101: don’t make unforced errors.

The simplest way to avoid a crisis is to not create one.

Every comms person knows this. Yet complaining publicly online is the definition of an “unforced error” – that is, a mistake nobody had to make. And it can impact:

* Partners

* Vendors

* Employees

* Prospective clients

* Actual clients

* Themselves

Like any rule, there are exceptions. Sometimes we can use a client story to educate the wider world (though always obscure the client’s identity). And people who flat-out operate unethically, or oversee a harmful work environment, sometimes need to be publicly taken to task.

But most of the time, it’s best to keep it private when clients make mistakes – even big ones – and instead of complaining, focus on how to fix the problem. This strategy may even clue you in to where the real fault lies: the person in the mirror.

Written by: Editor