A sign of the times or just rude.

In RL I provide a free service to anyone who needs it, I do not get paid to do this and all expenses come out of my own pocket. I make myself available 15 hours a day, 7 days a week, including public holidays, except for the police and private investigators for them I'm available 24 hours a day. Some days I see up to 30 clients. The only rules I have is 'by appointment only' and I expect to be treated with respect.

Lately I have noticed more and more people sending text messages to my mobile (cell) phone asking for appointments, people calling me after 8:30pm wanting to come straight over and people knocking on my door without an appointment up to 10:30pm. Today is Sunday here, at 12:35 this morning I received a text message from a guy wanting an appointment today.

Is this inappropriate, disrespectful and just plain rude or is it a sign of the times and I just need to catch up?

It's definitely rude and disrespectful

Unfortunately, it's both. It is definitely rude and disrespectful, and its a sign of the times, that as a people we are getting ruder and more disrespectful.

I think it's a sign of the times. I don't think people are intentionally being rude (especially since they are contacting you for help), but I do believe that we live in a self-centred or rather "selfie" society coupled with an age where access to information and resources is seemingly immediate. So I think that these people #1 are contacting you under the assumption that their issue is the only issue that matters and #2 forget that you are human and not the internet.

I would recommend if you do not have your hours of service stated explicitly anywhere that you post them so that your clients will know when they can make appointments. Also, I would strongly suggest that you get another phone instead of using your personal phone for your home service to prevent people from calling late hours at night. You also should be non-compromising about your appointment policy. Patient and polite persistence is the best way to train others to behave in the manner you desire.

I hope this info helps! I'm sorry to hear that your generosity and kindness is being taken for granted

All of the above - and huge kudos and hugs for doing what you are doing. The world needs more "helpers" and less takers *sigh* Just keep on keepin' on...

What others have said - it's definitely rude and disrespectful, but unfortunately it's also a sign of the times. Far too many people today think that the world revolves around them and that everybody else is just there to serve them (and would never, ever think of helping others like you are).

But that does NOT mean that you should just suck it up and accept it! I agree with what @nanashi said, if you don't do so already I think you should state your business hours clearly and also make it clear to people that they will not get appointments (or replies to phone calls/text messages/e-mails) outside of these hours. And I, too, think you should get another phone for this and not use your home phone, so that clients who think they're the centre of the universe and don't understand that you're a human being who needs to sleep and eat like everybody else won't call you at every which hour.

The world needs more people like you, Michelle. I hope you know that.

Most people call my mobile (cell) phone, very few call the land line. I've been doing this for over 20 years now, didn't start putting business cards out there until after my husband died in 2001. My business cards clearly state my hours and 'by appointment only'. Every business that hands out my business cards also has a sign stating the same thing as well as 'calls for appointments should be made no earlier than 8am and no later than 6pm'. On top of that I have a very large sign on my gate stating the same thing.

I didn't mean to offend you, Michelle, but it sounds as if I did. I'm sorry.

People sending messages asking for an appointment... I guess that's to be expected. If they can't do that, how else would they get an appointment, after all?

However, demanding such an appointment on such short notice, and calling after dinner or during the weekend, or even showing up at the door unanounced? No! With respect to such behavior, I agree with you and others in feeling that it is rude, disrespectful and totally inappropriate, @Michelle. Absolutely NOT acceptable, regardless of circumstances! You have a right of privacy, you have your rules, and you advertise them clearly. Prospect customers should appreciate and respect that if they ever want to make use of your services.

No Nix, you didn't offend me at all, I was just saying that I do clearly state my hours, so they can't used the not knowing defense, sorry if I sounded abrupt and made you think I was offended. I think I'm still cranky about the guy sending the text message at 12:35am.