What Happens When Clients Ask for Everything: Managing Oversharing and Access Requests

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There comes a moment in some agency relationships where a sudden chill falls over the conversation and the tone shifts palpably. Maybe it’s a project that has had teething troubles, a dispute over scope, or escalating tensions based on a difference in expectations. Then an email drops in your inbox. It may say something along the lines of “We would like copies of all project communications, working documents, and internal messaging related to this campaign”. 

And you panic.

And you panic even if your agency has done everything to the letter, and your hands are totally clean, because requests like this feel invasive, not to mention logistically monumental. So what is your play, when a client asks for everything?

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Step one: Don’t assume it’s the nightmare scenario

A request for all information connected to a campaign isn’t necessarily a precursor to legal action or even a dispute. Sometimes, it is driven by confusion on the client side. It may be down to internal pressure, an audit, or even a nervous account manager seeking to cover their back.

Whatever the reason, your response needs to avoid jumping to defense. Calm communication and a gentle clarification of what is deliverable can go a long way here, while a hostile response can see things escalate beyond control.

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Clarify the scope of the request

Even if the client has said they want to see everything, the meaning of that term can be fairly elastic. Often, they may not have considered the sheer scale of what it is they have demanded. Everything connected to the project may include Slack conversations, Zoom recordings, email chains, draft documents and a litany of other detail. So you need to respond with a few questions:

• Which project or time period does this refer to?
• Are you looking for only signed-off official documents, or also draft materials?
• Do you want internal communications, or just interactions between agencies?

Getting specifics helps to manage the request, and also allows you to flag anything that may be sensitive, incomplete, or decontextualized.

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Have your house in order

A request such as the one you have received can cause chaos, and the best defence against chaos is preparation. Any agency should be storing key documents - contracts, briefs, updates and approvals - in shared folders that are clearly organized and timestamped. Version control is also important; if multiple stakeholders have access to the same Google Doc, keep a clear paper trail of what has been agreed and when.

You don’t need to archive everything, but any official communication should be easy to find and explain if called upon.

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If things do get legal…

If the situation still escalates into legal territory or a formal disclosure request, it’s time to bring in specialist tools such as eDiscovery software. Digging manually through what could be thousands of files isn’t just time-consuming - it also increases the risk of sharing the wrong information (and potentially escalating things further. Having access to such tools is beneficial; you may not need it every day, but having it to call upon can take the sting out of a stressful process.

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Stay professional, stay calm

Ultimately, your handling of a request of this kind will reflect on your agency’s maturity. Even if the demand is unreasonable, responding to it with clarity and professionalism can help preserve a business relationship. And if all else fails and it goes further, you want to be able to make the best case possible at arbitration.

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Photo by Antoni Shkraba Studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-blue-denim-jacket-sitting-on-white-couch-5217831/