Whilst sitting at home reflecting on the last lesson I just taught I wondered what do students look for when choosing a driving instructor. Are they looking for a nice looking instructor or a mild-mannered instructor? It then occurred to me that pricing quite often is the top of the agenda.
Pricing for Driving Lessons in Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough and surrounding areas
We let’s get right down it, lessons from Lawrence’s Driving School are £40 per hour on a pay as you go rate. Many students choose to buy blocks of 10 for £380 (Saving £20 – £38 per hour).
Why are some Driving Schools really cheap?
There are many other schools around that offer various incentives for you to join them. These offers are often for the first 1 to 10 hours before the price goes up to normal rates. Other’s will offer you discounted hours but only at the end of your driving course. Many offer drop-down rates because they are unable to get good recommendations and so offering cheap lessons will attract new pupils.
Why are some schools more expensive than others?
A school like Lawrence’s Driving School, price their lessons at the higher end of the scale because they are in high demand as driving instructors. Quite often they are fully booked or have a waiting list. These instructors are often Top rated A Grade Instructors, like Lawrence from Lawrence’s Driving School – this means they have reached the best level of instruction according to the DVSA.
Learning to drive is a life skill and after you have passed the driving test your life will be totally revolutionised. In view of this, the price of a lesson should not be your primary factor.
How Important is Pricing when choosing a driving instructor?
Think of it like this, would you go into the local supermarket and buy the cheapest products of all the item,s you want? Most people would pick and choose which products to skimp on and which they would enjoy the branded versions of. Choosing a good driving instructor is a bit like that.
Would you really want the cheapest driving instructor in town not worrying about his or her reputation or pass rates? Learning to drive is a life skill, and if taught correctly could save your life further down the line.
When choosing a driving instructor price should only be part of your consideration factors. Other things to think about are;
- What is the Driving Instructor’s Reputation? Ask around, see if your friends have heard of them and if so what do they think or what have they heard?
- What is their car like? Is it a new training vehicle less than three years old and regularly serviced or is it an old banger on its last legs?
- Who is the driving instructor? Is it someone just waiting out their final days before retiring or is a bright and enthusiastic person eager to shape learners minds into safe conscientious drivers?
- Does the school offer discounts on block bookings? Most schools do this and, if you can afford it, you should go for the block bookings as substantial savings can be made – however, a quick word of warning, make sure you have had a couple of lessons with the instructor just make sure you both are a good fit with each other.
Let’s talk about Refunds
Make sure you know the school’s refund policy. Many a learner has lost money to unscrupulous driving instructors. You should get a refund if you pass your test with money in the account, for untaken lessons.
You should also get a refund if you decide to leave because you no longer want lessons with that instructor – in this case, be aware that the school may price your taken lessons at full rate and give you the change. You can’t blame them as a discounted block booking is only discounted because you booked a series of lessons they expected you to take.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, you can find our pricing page here. There is more to choosing a school then finding the cheapest instructor. Ask the right questions when ringing around and make sure you know the Refund Policy.
Hope that helps.