In April, I had a lovely older man pay for an hour with me. He's retired and it was a short notice booking during the afternoon. I did the booking with 30 minutes notice. Since then he has called and text me mostly mid evening and once even after 11pm! I explained to him when I saw him that I work mostly during the day and some evenings with notice depending what day it is. But I always finish at 9-10pm.

I have repeated this information several times since and he says he understands.

Last night he rings at 8.30pm and I miss the call due to having an early night. But if he gave me an hour's notice, perhaps just even 30 mins I would have been able to see him. I explained this via text this morning and said I would be able to see him up until 6pm today. He replied a booking would be unlikely today but thanks anyway.

20 minutes later he says he could come mid morning after a doctor appointment. He stayed for 30 minutes as that was all he had time for. At the end of the booking I asked if he had a busy afternoon ahead, bearing in mind what he said to me before, and he said no, doing absolutely nothing.

I get that he is older and probably doesn't rush around like some, but he always maintains that it is difficult for him to give me much, if any, notice at all.

He is retired, so why is this so difficult? Plenty of men who work want short notice bookings but they always say I appreciate you have a life but if there's any chance you could see me etc ...

I resent always seeing him on his terms when he says he can't give me much notice. What does he expect me to do, wait around during the evenings when there is better stuff to be done just on the off chance that he calls me? 

He is polite and respectful in every other way.

I don't mind waiting round when I am working during the day, but I don't see why I should be on call 24/7.

I am not a seven eleven shop!

Don't take this the wrong way but you are allowing this guy to dictate the terms that's why you feel resentful. You absolutely don't have to put up with this.

Personally I couldn't put up with that much crap and still see a client. If I explain once or twice max and they still persist, that's the chop from me. You say he was great the first time, well he hasn't been since. If it was me he would've been blocked long ago for persistently not respecting my rules.

Remember you are the one calling the shots, unless you can put up with more of this, there's only one answer.

20 minutes later he says he could come mid morning after a doctor appointment. He stayed for 30 minutes as that was all he had time for. At the end of the booking I asked if he had a busy afternoon ahead, bearing in mind what he said to me before, and he said no, doing absolutely nothing.

I get that he is older and probably doesn't rush around like some, but he always maintains that it is difficult for him to give me much, if any, notice at all.

He is retired, so why is this so difficult?

I had a client in his 70s just like this, he was very upfront that his wife was disabled and wanted to know where he was every minute of the day, so he could only sneak out at the last minute, when he was meant to be doing something else or when he had relatives staying over and even then he could get out and could only do a short appointment.   He had to keep his phone on the whole booking just incase she called him, could it be something like this?