In the greater Portland Metro Area, this would be a big, big no-no. Liberal city, liberal norms. In rural Eastern Oregon, say, Pendleton or Burns or something, it might not be so unacceptable, due to different social norms.

Also, where is this person from originally? If they are from Texas or the deep south, everyone calls everyone honey all the time. I had nurses call me (the doctor) 'hon' for years when I was in Nashville. It is just a fact of life down there.

So, it's not necessarily disrespectful or an insult. You need to know the context before you can come to a conclusion--at least, that is how I see it. Hon (okay, that last part was a joke--I would never actually refer to you as 'hon'...).