Dear Mary | 7 March 2019

Q. I run a very small mail-order company from home. Recently I received an exceptionally rude email from a disgruntled customer. On discovering that the problems arising were her own fault, I sent a polite email proving this. Her response was even ruder. I know this woman socially and she obviously doesn’t realise I am the owner of the company. She would be mortified to realise I know about this ‘fishwife’ side of her character, but of course she inevitably will find out if she continues to escalate things. I would not want to humiliate her so how should I handle this?
— Name and address withheld

A. Write to her at her home address and mark the envelope ‘confidential’. Explain that while you don’t want to make trouble for any young intern who may be doing work experience for her, you felt she ought to know that some rude emails have been sent from her address to the company you own.