Is telling your sub or little they have disappointed you a cruel punishment?

[Dom Male]

I had a discussion recently, with a submissive, about how cruel her Dom was. Naturally, being concerned about her mental well being, I asked for examples of this cruelty. This didn't mean I didn't believe her, but I wanted to know what she deemed as cruel. For example telling 2 subs you are going to beat their ass black and blue could terrify one, while making another wet.

So she explained that when she failed in an instruction or task her Dom made a big deal to tell her how disapointed he was in her.

I followed this up with "Did you do your very best, and still failed", and was surprised to hear yes in the beginning, but now I've stopped trying.

This got me thinking, if a rule or instruction is neglected, should the sub be made aware of your displeasure or do you say nothing at risk of hurting feelings? For me the answer lies in what effort was made. We can all improve in our roles, and should never be disappointed with Best Efforts. However should you believe that full effort wasn't made then you need to be able to express that.

Looking forward to other views.

Domnick