Category: uncategorized

Think there are no opportunities to progress in this career? You’re probably wrong! I’ll show you why… A while ago, while reflecting on some of the problems facing driving instructors, I was reminded of when I first became an instructor. I was quite nervous. I’d completed my training and had passed my Part Three first time but none of this training prepared me for a real driving lesson. I’m often asked by new instructors about test routes and where to train. There is no training on how deal with pupils nerves or when to take the money. Another common question Read More …

It’s been a while since I wrote anything about intensive driving lessons, but recent events have brought these to my mind again. For over 6 years now, part of my business has been looking after not only my own driving schools, but other driving schools across the country. This involves call-answering, as well as marketing and website development. Along the way, we have helped and worked with several specialist intensive driving schools and one or two that do both weekly and intensive driving lessons. This gives me some insight as to the operation and pros and cons of the intensive Read More …

Do they lie, or are they just trying to protect themselves? This is always a controversial subject when talking about customers always being right. It’s a customer service mantra that’s drilled into us and marketers will tell you to follow it to sell your goods and services. But is it always the way? Almost daily, we take phone calls from pupils saying “I probably only need 10 driving lessons and I will be test-ready.” Are they right? Well maybe they are, maybe they aren’t. In this age of coaching I certainly would advice not to be too judgemental at first. Read More …

Back in the 1990s I started a job that I thought would be my dream job. The money was great, I got a fully-paid company van I could use for private use and an expense account that I could use to buy any tools I needed. I had autonomy in my day where nobody was really checking up on me and I got to drive around a lot. That job was a service engineer for an automated door company. We had regular all expense meetings at the company’s head office in Leamington Spa where the boss would join us and Read More …

Don’t jump yet – read until the end! This article looks at the 5 most common reasons for failing and will give you tips on how to avoid the common pit-falls. I am going to start off with what, in my opinion, is the number one reason above all that makes people fail. I have seen this happen so often. I’ve spent hours working on this with hundreds of trainees and its quite personal. Literally personal. It’s YOU. Not me, not your trainer, not the examiner, the car or the pupil its YOU. Now this may sound harsh, but until Read More …

I took a phone call many years ago from a guy asking about driving lessons. I could tell by his tone that he was very scared. He asked me whether I would MAKE him drive on the first driving lesson. I re-assured him he was in safe hands and not to worry. We would take it easy and if he was not ready to drive then that was OK. A couple of days later he called again to confirm, and plead me not to make him drive on the first lessons. Low and behold, the day before his test, he called Read More …

Last week I returned from Scotland, where I was on a canal boat doing the Forth & Clyde and Edinburgh Union canal. During the trip, we went on the Falkirk Wheel twice. A unique piece of engineering that lifts canal boats up to the higher Edinburgh Union Canal from the Forth and Clyde. Actually, it lifts three boats at a time with passengers.   I am a meticulous planner. Having been on many canal boat holidays in the past, I know it’s best to plan of where you’re going to stop to eat. Sometimes my wife likes to stop and Read More …

This subject is something of an FAQ on social media and the forums. Choosing a car when you’re not a driving instructor can be hard enough, but finding the right cars as a driving instructor is even harder. Everyone will have their particular favourite driving school car and there are a lot of choices and options – as well as the added financial aspects when a car is used as a tuition vehicle.   DISCLAIMER: First of all, it’s important to declare that I am not an accountant. There are many financial benefits and drawbacks with different types of cars, Read More …

So, the summer of 1977. The UK was celebrating The Queen’s Silver Jubilee, Donna Summer was ‘feeling love’ at the top of the charts, and news of the death of Elvis Presley hit the nation in mid-August. But what was Dave Foster up to…? Do you remember when you first wanted to learn to drive? What would have stopped you? I remember for me back in the summer of 1977, I was eagerly waiting and nothing was going to get in my way. I was, however, worried about the price of petrol as it was around 90p a gallon and Read More …