# Complaint letter etiquette **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873 "2011-01-16T22:25:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/1 "2011-01-16T22:25:08Z")
If I’m writing a letter of complaint to the president of a company at one mailing address, yet I want to copy the company’s customer service department at another mailing address, and also the store manager at yet another address, how do I indicate that this letter is a copy of the letter sent to the company president? ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/2 "2011-01-16T22:40:06Z")
I’ve always seen this done by adding a “cc” field. ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/3 "2011-01-16T22:48:32Z")
I’ve seen this at the bottom of letters before. So, say, at the bottom of the customer service letter and store mgr letter, put “cc: Company President”? Or, address all 3 letters to the company president and put “cc: Customer Service Department cc: Store Manager” at the bottom of all three letters? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/4 "2011-01-16T22:52:32Z")
cc: Customer Service Person Store Manager Tab over once from the colon for each. For some reason the board software is removing my spaces. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/5 "2011-01-16T22:54:15Z")
Each letter is treated individually. Address one letter to the company president, one to the customer service department, and one to the store manager. For the company president, at the bottom, put “CC: customer service department, store manager”. For the customer service department, at the bottom, put “CC: company president, store manager”. For the store manager, at the bottom, put “CC: company president, customer service department”. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/6 "2011-01-16T22:58:16Z")
Back in the days of _actual_ carbon copies, the “cc” field generally followed your signature, and under the post script field (if applicable). I think with the advent of email it got moved up to the header just for the sake of ease. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/7 "2011-01-16T23:02:03Z")
It would also follow the enclosure line, if there is one. ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/8 "2011-01-16T23:14:06Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It would also follow the enclosure line What is the enclosure line? (sorry!) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/9 "2011-01-16T23:16:46Z")
You would often add “Enc.” to indicate that the envelope contained more than just the one letter. ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/10 "2011-01-16T23:22:54Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > You would often add “Enc.” to indicate that the envelope contained more than just the one letter. The letter is being mailed to three separate addresses. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/11 "2011-01-16T23:23:21Z")
In this case, say, a receipt, or invoice, or purchase order, maybe. At any rate, the enclosure line is there so the recipient knows there’s supposed to be stuff enclosed, and can call you and say, “there’s nothing in here!” if there isn’t. ETA: You make _copies_ of the enclosure for the other people. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/12 "2011-01-16T23:31:59Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > In this case, say, a receipt, or invoice, or purchase order, maybe. At any rate, the enclosure line is there so the recipient knows there’s supposed to be stuff enclosed, and can call you and say, “there’s nothing in here!” if there isn’t. > > ETA: You make _copies_ of the enclosure for the other people. 😉 I have included the sales check number in the body of the letter. The sales check number is always used to find my purchase details when I call customer service. So I don’t feel like I need to include copies of anything with the letter (unless the president of the company doesn’t have quick access to this info, in which case maybe it would be smart to include in his letter?) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/13 "2011-01-16T23:40:48Z")
You probably don’t have to. It might mean your issue is addressed more quickly, and as you say the company president may not have access to the information. I only mentioned the enclosure line because the carbon copy line goes below it. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/14 "2011-01-17T01:13:42Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > Each letter is treated individually. Address one letter to the company president, one to the customer service department, and one to the store manager. > > For the company president, at the bottom, put “CC: customer service department, store manager”. > For the customer service department, at the bottom, put “CC: company president, store manager”. > For the store manager, at the bottom, put “CC: company president, customer service department”. Pretty sure it wasn’t done that way in the days of actually typing letters on prehistoric typewriters; doing three different versions would have been a pain in the ass. I still wouldn’t do it that way. It’s my understanding that the most important recipient (presumably the president in this case) gets the “Dear Mr. Soandso” and the others get the CC’s at the bottom of the letter. I have seen cases where a highlighter was used on the copies that were sent to the CC recipients to show who was getting that particular copy but I don’t know how commonplace that is. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/15 "2011-01-17T14:37:45Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > Pretty sure it wasn’t done that way in the days of actually typing letters on prehistoric typewriters; doing three different versions would have been a pain in the ass. I still wouldn’t do it that way. It’s my understanding that the most important recipient (presumably the president in this case) gets the “Dear Mr. Soandso” and the others get the CC’s at the bottom of the letter. I have seen cases where a highlighter was used on the copies that were sent to the CC recipients to show who was getting that particular copy but I don’t know how commonplace that is. It’s not normally done that way now, either, at least not for business letters. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/16 "2011-01-17T14:52:31Z")
The “cc” is to let the recipient of the primary letter–the person you are holding responsible, the person you are asking to make your situation right–know who has received the other copies. If the other recipients are simply being notified to keep them informed (or, tactically, to let the primary recipient _know_ that others are being kept informed) then the copies they receive won’t be _addressed_ to them–they’ll be, in fact, copies. Thus, the envelopes going to those other recipients should include brief cover letters, addressed to those persons, explaining this. (It may be obvious, but a cover letter is appropriate here just as atop a resumé.) Always know the target and object of your complaint. An effective complaint asks one person to take a specific action in redress. In some cases I imagine it would be advisable to initially target someone with more direct responsibility for the area of the failing, rather than a top-ranked individual. If the complaint to the underling does not lead to satisfaction, then you can go to their boss (now with an additional complaint). ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/17 "2011-01-17T15:08:30Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > Each letter is treated individually. Address one letter to the company president, one to the customer service department, and one to the store manager. > > For the company president, at the bottom, put “CC: customer service department, store manager”. > For the customer service department, at the bottom, put “CC: company president, store manager”. > For the store manager, at the bottom, put “CC: company president, customer service department”. WRONG. You are writing one letter, to the President. And sending copies to two other people. At the bottom of your letter, put cc: Customer service dept. abd store manager, XXX store. Then mail a copy of your letter to the customer service department, and another copy to the store manager. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/complaint-letter-etiquette/567873/18 "2011-01-17T16:53:09Z")
> [@Wilbo523](#): > > WRONG. You are writing one letter, to the President. And sending copies to two other people. > > At the bottom of your letter, put > cc: Customer service dept. abd store manager, XXX store. > > Then mail a copy of your letter to the customer service department, and another copy to the store manager. I’d agree with this - and I have seen the highlighter used on the copies too. In addition, the main letter would be printed on the company letterhead while the copies would either be literal photocopies or additional copies printed on plain paper. Grim