First lesson, driving instructor late

[strugglingthroughlife]

I'm starting lessons this morning. I'm just having second thoughts about the firm.

When I first contacted them it was because it was female drivers, however I've been put with a male??

When asking about prices they said 5 lessons for £100 which led me to query this as it was advertised 5 for £90

Lesson was supposed to be at 8am this morning, instructor messaged last night to change to 9:30

I know it's only 9:33 now, but he isn't here and no word since and I'm now feeling like I don't trust them, aibu to feel this way?

He’a Definitely changed it to a later time because he was on a Xmas night out. Now he’s Realised his hangover is worse than he thought it would be and he’s struggled to get out of bed.

Unprofessional.

Yes, chapter, I’m worried that he will get there 2 mins after OP left her house and try and make out he was only a few mins late and charge for the full lesson.

Hope you texted him and told him not to bother coming as it was so late,Op.

If he’s feeling that rough he’ll probably be glad!

If he says he has a hangover, I'd worry whether he was still over the limit!

Cancel and find someone professional.

I am not sure if it's the same where you are but the roads here are still really icy and there's a heavy frost laying , Have you considered when the instructor pushed your lesson back last night he was actually thinking of you and that conditions might have improved a little later in the morning? Maybe its taken him a few minutes longer than he anticipated to de ice and make the car safe this morning. Love how everyone just presumes he had a heavy night not everyone was out partying last night you know.

If the driving instructor felt the conditions were too icy for a beginner driver he should have cancelled! Likewise if he was delayed for any reason he should have called and cancelled.

Sorry called to advise her not cancelled

How unprofessional! He could park up and phone the OP to apologise for being late and give a reason. Not turning up on time is inexcusable.

Planet - frost is something that he coudl have left a few minutes earlier to sort, and he could have called to either say he'd be later, or cancelled, as he saw fit. I'm sure OP is reasonable enough to have a phone or text conversation - if he'd bothered.

I mean frost on teh car, obviously he couldn't defrost the roads!

Yanbu

If a company says it’s 5 lessons for £90 you shouldn’t have to challenge them to force them to give you that price.

I’d be wary of anyone who changed the time of a first appointment/meeting/lesson at such short notice because if they start of doing that when they should be trying to make a good impression you can guess that once you’re a regular you’ll be messed around a lot more. I would absolutely happily accommodate a trusted instructor who had to change times at short notice once they’ve proved themselves reliable in general, because I know things come up. But it’s not a good way to begin.

And ditto the lateness. If he’s late for your first lesson, chances are he’ll be late for most of the others. Again, occasional lateness from an otherwise reliable instructor is tolerable, these things happen.

If the company is called ExL this is normal for them. Avoid them like the plague. I had 3 instructors from them do this to me despite complaints and eventually found another school to learn with who were amazing.

Yep ditch him. If you're in or neat north London I can recommend the best, and most reliable, driving instructor ever.

So has he been in touch?!

I assume you went for one lesson? I’d cancel future ones if possible. If you’re having to sort childcare then the last thing you want is to be let down.

Getting the right instructor is so important. I didn’t learn til my 30s and I went through 2 instructors before I found a nice one. People switch all the time so don’t worry.

Absolutely cancel. I spent over a year with an instructor who took the absolute piss just because i hated confrontation. First impressions count for a lot. So many red flags here before you've even met the instructor. Try again in the new year but get on a few waiting lists now as it'll likely be busy in January.

Crikey, I think you're being unreasonable about the instructor being a few minutes late. Traffic can still be pretty heavy at 09:30. Haven't you ever been late? I'm fanatical about being on time/early for everything, but even I've been late a couple of times. It couldn't be helped.

However, I do think you should have insisted on a female instructor if that's what you wanted.

" Traffic can still be pretty heavy at 09:30." on a SUNDAY?

Yeah but the lesson was supposed to be 8am. So it’s a pretty big pisstake to then be late at the rescheduled time.

Traffic can still be pretty heavy at 09:30 on a Sunday in some places yes, especially if the large shops open at 10.

Back to the original question, don't go with this firm again.

Just wanted to say I had 3 driving instructors when I was learning. First one was a bloke and turned out to be a bit of a perv so I changed to a woman - she was an absolute dragon, absolutely awful specimen who shouted and screamed at me, was patronising and sarcastic and would sit sending abusive text messages to other customers whilst I drive around. When I cancelled my lessons with her I became the customer who received the abusive texts!!!

My third instructor was a bloke and he was absolutely perfect (BSM). Women are not always better.

Go elsewhere. I'd be annoyed getting a man after requesting a woman

I think being a few minutes late in itself isn't a massive deal but it's the fact that a)it was supposed to start at 8am but he rearranged it b)they're charging more than they advertised for and c)they advertised for female instructors but op got a man
It all adds up to a pretty rocky relationship with someone who you're supposed to trust implicitly

I'd cancel and cite all the reasons above.

Sorry had to work aswell for an hour.

To be clear he was the one who kind of forced 8am on a Sunday on me, I'd asked for later but he was really insistent that this was the time, so I went with it.

Also I did text him to cancel but I've heard absolutely nothing back from him! I'm glad I've cancelled now, I'm going to look around some more and see how it goes

The lateness would put me off OP. because it shows an unprofessional attitude and I would assume that spilled over into other areas.
£90 for five lessons is very cheap - is it a kind of first time learners offer? Otherwise it might be a case of pay peanuts get monkeys.

I find the best way to get insturctors is personal recommendations. for specific instructors, not for a company.

Yes, that's the kind of offer made for the first five lessons. A friend's son had that and for the first two lessons they didn't leave the side of the road!