"to whom it may concern"

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#35208 Wed, 30 Jun 04 08:34 PM

Are there any alternatives to the opening "to whom it may concern?" I am mailing a thank you letter to a customer service department of a large corporation and have no individual name or title. "To whom it may concern" just sounds tired and cliche. Or is it still the standard and accepted opening for letters of this nature? Thanks, Tim

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#35242 Thu, 01 Jul 04 08:45 AM

Interesting. To whom it may concern dates back to the latter half of the 19th century. Maybe it’s about time the formula was updated. Can anyone suggest a savvy reference for this type of thing?

From dictionary.com

to whom it may concern

To the appropriate recipient for this message, as in I didn't know who was responsible for these complaints so I just addressed it "to whom it may concern."
This phrase is a formula used in letters, testimonials, and the like when one does not know the name of the proper person to address. [Second half of 1800s]

Source:
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

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