Assurance Driving School

Review: This business suffers from a lack of organization, planning and execution. Initial problem started when previous instructor failed to show up for a scheduled class. New instructor changed from previous schedule of 3 classes per week, to 2 classes per week. This has resulted in the class having to be extended into the summer break, therefore impacting previously planned work, family and summer school schedules. The actual driving schedule has become extremely irregular, unequal, and are constantly changing. Some students have had up to 3 drive times before other students have even had a there first drive time. Instructors implied that there would be no more than 2 weeks between drive times yet my son has 4 weeks between his first and second scheduled time. The business fails to return phone calls, answer e-mails or even consistently answer the phone during business hours. Business has informed us that they will now have to one of our cancel a class times so they can do the orientation for a new succeeding class.Desired Settlement: Respond promptly to customer queries - phone, email, etc. Modify class schedule to complete closer to the original end date (which has already passed). Modify driving schedules (increase times) to ensure students obtain requirements by previously scheduled end date. Meet the individual needs of current students - employee problems and lack of organization should not inconvenience current students. Concentrate efforts (and schedule) on existing students before expending efforts on future classes.

Review: My daughter is enrolled in this school. The first fiasco was on the parent orientation night where we learned that a new teacher had been hired, and the days and times of the class were not determined. Although when I signed her up it was published as MWF from 6-8pm. I was warned by another parent that had her son attended the previous months session, that the days and times of class were always getting switched up and causing a lot of frustration. Since this is the only driving school near us we don't have a choice.The teacher told the parents that the students would drive with the teacher once a week beginning the week after the first class. After the 3rd week of class and asking our daughter when she was going to begin driving, she said the teacher doesn't have his certification to go on rides yet. The teacher said he had a lot of tests to take and was hoping to begin drives the week of the 15th. That week has come and gone. She found out on Thursday the 18th that the teacher had to take one more test Saturday. He said he would try to set up drive times from 8:30-3:30 M-Th of the following week. This morning July 22, 2013 I had my daughter call the school to get an update. The gal that answered said that she was waiting to hear back from Olympia to see if the teacher passed his test. But there was no way the students would be able to have all their drives in by the end of next week (the end of class). We are waiting to hear back from the school what the next step will be. My daugter will be leaving for vacation (as well as several other students) the first week of August and we don't know how these drive times will be made up. My complaint is that we paid $425 for a class where my daughter is hearing how to drive but not getting her practice in other then by her parents. I'm requesting a refund of half my payment.Desired Settlement: I would like half of the $425 refunded as compensation for lack of professionalism run by this establishment.

Business

Response:

We are aware that the delay in getting this instructor certified, who has more than 30 years of teaching drivers education in the public school system, took much longer than we had been led to believe. We were told it would be a matter of just switching his license from a public school license to a DOL license. Instead, he had to be fingerprinted, which took three weeks to get the results to Olympia, then he had to take a written examination which took another two weeks to get scheduled, and then he had to take a road test, which took another ten days, having been postponed twice by the Pullman DOL office. A total of more than six weeks longer than we expected. He completed the last of this on Saturday, July 20, and the DOL in Olympia got his scores today, Tuesday July 23. As of today he is fully certified as a driving instructor. Prior to this time his classroom was being supervised by myself, the owner of Assurance Driving School. As to the changes of the dates and times, our website clearly states that all class times and dates are subject to change depending on weather or other unforeseen circumstances, and the parents were advised of the changes in advance of the first class. Our instructor in Pullman has assured this parent that her daughter will have all her drives completed in time for the family’s scheduled vacation. We work diligently to see that all our students receive the best possible drivers education, and regret the frustration this situation has caused.

[redacted],

Owner

Assurance Driving School

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.I am not pleased with this response because I paid for my child to be taught by a certified instructor which this teacher was not until July 23rd as the response from the drive school explained. This oversight on their part should not warrant a full payment on mine. I was told on Monday the 22nd that my daughter ([redacted]) was scheduled to drive at 4pm on Tuesday and I received a confirmation email. I went to the class Monday eveing to verify with the teacher that she indeed was driving. ** (the instructor) replied that he didn't know anything about it and the drive times were set by the school. Tuesday at 4pm my daughter waited for the instructor who never showed. [redacted] called the school and was told that there was a glitch in the computer system she should've never gotten an email and that their is no drive time scheduled for her today. I called the school this morning (July 24th) before I received this response via Revdex.com, to be told that my daughter does not have a drive time scheduled. [redacted] was not to receive an email and that must've had been some glitch when they were emailing all the other incoming students as to when their classes start (even though there was no class last night at 4pm). The lady at Assurance went at length to tell me how it's everyone else's fault that their teacher is not certified and they are not going to refund my money. She said she apologizes the class is not being run the way I (myself) would like it to. When I asked when will my daughter begin driving she said she doesn't know it was up to the instructor. I said you got to be kidding he told me Monday night that he is awaiting to hear from you when the drive times are. She said well I'm sorry but he will set his own drive times. Again lack of communication.