# The complaints tree

> **You need:** *CMS — view* to browse, *CMS — edit* to add or change, *CMS — delete* to remove.

The complaints tree is the structure of complaint types used when a customer complaint is logged. It is what makes complaints countable: a tree everyone uses the same way turns individual annoyances into a pattern you can act on.

## Browsing

The tree is a hierarchy of nodes — broad categories at the top, specific types beneath. Browse it to see the current structure before changing anything.

## Adding and editing a node

Add a node under the right parent, or edit an existing one.

> **Changing a label changes it everywhere, including on complaints already filed under it.** That is usually what you want when correcting wording. It is not what you want when the meaning shifts — if the node should now mean something different, add a new one and stop using the old.

## Deleting a node

Delete has its own permission, and for good reason. Removing a node changes how complaints can be categorised from that moment on, and existing complaints filed under it lose the structure that explained them.

Before deleting, ask:

| Question | If yes |
|---|---|
| Have complaints been filed under it? | Prefer stopping its use over deleting it |
| Is it a duplicate of another node? | Consolidate deliberately, and note which absorbed which |
| Was it created by mistake and never used? | Safe to delete |

## Keep the tree small

A tree that grows a node per incident stops being useful: with sixty options, nobody picks consistently, and the counts mean nothing.

Two tests before adding a node:

1. **Would a different person pick this node for the same complaint?** If it overlaps an existing one, it will be used inconsistently.
2. **Would you act differently on this than on its neighbour?** If not, it doesn't need to be separate.

## Loading many at once

The tree can be loaded from a file rather than built node by node — see [CMS - Complaints CSV Upload](/books/console-yF7/page/cms-complaints-csv-upload), which covers the format and the flow in detail.

As with every import, start small and confirm the structure before loading everything.

## Related pages

- [CMS - Complaints CSV Upload](/books/console-yF7/page/cms-complaints-csv-upload) — bulk loading, in detail
- [CMS: what it covers](/books/console-yF7/page/cms-what-it-covers) — permissions and the two CMS areas
- [Logging an incident](/books/console-yF7/page/logging-an-incident) — the Hub's per-order record, which is a different thing