How to address emails to generic addresses?

orangeslimes

Has anyone got any suggestions how you should address generic email addresses where you don't have the name of the person and there might be more than one person checking the email.
i.e. ones like info@ placeofwork.com or hr@ acompany .co.uk

I think 'To whom you may concern' or 'Dear Sir/Madam' sounds overly formal in an email.
My best idea is just to start 'Hello'
Does anyone have any better ideas?

mountainofdebt

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Go for Dear Sir or Madam - or at very worst to whom it may concern

hothothot_3

Dear Comrades or

Ladies and Gentlemen

should get you stood out from the crowd.

Oldernotwiser

"Dear Sirs" would be the most correct thing to say in these circumstances (although "Dear Sir/Madam" would also be acceptable) as it would be in a letter. "Hello" would be totally inappropriate, as would "To Whom it May Concern".

However, it would be far better to get the name of the person you want to read the email and address it personally, if you possibly can.

Savvy_Sue

To Whom It May Concern sounds really old-fashioned to me.

Although we tend to be less formal in emails, there is no reason not to use letter style (Dear Ms Smith / Yours sincerely or Dear Madam / Sir / Yours faithfully) in this kind of email, IMO.

Do avoid my personal bugbear of 'kind regards'. You're hardly likely to send me unkind regards, are you?

DVardysShadow

hothothot wrote: »

Dear Comrades or

Ladies and Gentlemen

should get you stood out from the crowd.

How do you sign off?

I know it is "Dear Comrades .... Yours fraternally"

But "Ladies and Gentlemen..." can only end "...Yours sincerely" if your tongue is firmly in your cheek

orangeslimes

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

"Dear Sirs" would be the most correct thing to say in these circumstances (although "Dear Sir/Madam" would also be acceptable) as it would be in a letter. "Hello" would be totally inappropriate, as would "To Whom it May Concern".

However, it would be far better to get the name of the person you want to read the email and address it personally, if you possibly can.

Dear Sirs is really sexist though (and highly likely there will be females I am contacting)

What about the name of the company...i.e. Dear Acompanyname ?, Dear Personnel Department

I'm not actually applying for a job this way- it is more for volunteering / or requesting application packs.
And it seems wrong to take a general email like this and just address it to someone (or am I just being weird?)

Do avoid my personal bugbear of 'kind regards'. You're hardly likely to send me unkind regards, are you?

Don't worry I have never sent kind regards.
I probably sign letters like this 'yours'. I usually send regards to people I don't know, best wishes to people I have met a few times.

Thanks though, I am so confused by email etiquette and have so far just made up what I think is right so it is interesting to hear people's opinions. I suppose better being too formal than informal though.

Oldernotwiser

orangeslimes wrote: »

Dear Sirs is really sexist though (and highly likely there will be females I am contacting)
Then stick to Dear Sir/Madam.

Thanks though, I am so confused by email etiquette and have so far just made up what I think is right so it is interesting to hear people's opinions. I suppose better being too formal than informal though.

That's definitely true.

Savvy_Sue

orangeslimes wrote: »

What about the name of the company...i.e. Dear Acompanyname ?, Dear Personnel Department

Who are you expecting an answer from? Acompanyname is hardly going to reply, and nor is the Personnel Department. No, it's a PERSON within the company who will reply. And it's likely that a quick phone call will establish the name of the person you should email, if the information isn't obvious from their website / job advert.

OTOH, if the advert says (as ours do) "Request a job pack from The Administrator, Acompanyname" then it's quite in order to email Dear Administrator if you don't like Dear Madam (at least in our company, it wouldn't be rocket science to work that out since we have an exemption under the sex discrimination act to advertise our jobs for women only).

orangeslimes wrote: »

I'm not actually applying for a job this way- it is more for volunteering / or requesting application packs.

If they are inviting people to volunteer or request application packs, chances are they have a named person or job role to contact. If they're not, you need to find out who it is you need to contact to improve your chances of the email getting to the right person.

orangeslimes wrote: »

And it seems wrong to take a general email like this and just address it to someone (or am I just being weird?)

You're just being weird. :rotfl:

hothothot_3

put lots of Xs at the bottom - set your application apart from the crowd - think out of the box!

SueC_2

hothothot wrote: »

put lots of Xs at the bottom - set your application apart from the crowd - think out of the box!

I had a supplier send me a quote by email the other day. With a row of four kisses at the bottom. It fair frit the life out of me! :rotfl: