Owner of BIG TOM Driving School, Tom Ingram has an end of year, Christmas message for customers:
“It has been another wonderful year, many customers achieving their goal with the help of my driving school. The nature of work by my driving school often means that customers have a real need to get a driving licence fast – as opposed to taking weekly driving lessons to pass (which according to recent DVSA research takes on average 7 months!). As a result the rewards for these customers has very real benefits for work commitments, attendance of college/uni and family arrangements – the possession of a driving licence by a specific time is often critical to our customers. I have always been very clear in my mind that this unique demand on timescales will not affect the quality of driving training that customers receive. And it is this balance of driving standards and customer expectations that makes for a very stimulating and challenging work environment. It very much pleases me that over the years BIG TOM has naturally attracted custom from people who connect with this need to maintain safety whilst still obtaining spectacularly quick results. The driving school STILL has the record of not one single accident since the business was established in 2009.
For the first time since being a qualified driving instructor I read earlier this year from the Chief Driving Examiner of the DVSA Lesley Young who conceded that the driving test does in fact affect the quality of driving training. The new driving test that started earlier this month encourages driving instructors to train their pupils on faster moving roads including rural roads. This change lends itself to the BIG TOM training methodology as customers regularly travel 70 miles + in a training session between towns and cities, often across county boundaries.
For me personally, having just had formal confirmation from the DVSA of the first time pass rate of pupils that I present for test (across many test centres), it is great to see that since paying for some continuing professional development in 2016 my efforts are being rewarded with a 15% increase in the first time pass rate. I recognise that this CPD not only develops my own skills but it benefits my customers too. Of course, driving instructors could make up any figures they like when it comes to this statistic but my own customers should rest assured that the figures I use are official DVSA measured statistics.
Due to the difficulties I have experienced in locating land for under 17 driving training at weekends, I have stopped actively working on that project which is a great shame as all the evidence suggests the sooner key road safety techniques are introduced to our younger generation the better for long term outcomes. But as is often the way, whilst this is disappointing for those potential customers, plenty of other customers have taken up the added feature that was introduced mid-year of extending the BIG TOM Intensive Driving Course to include weekends. This has proved to be very successful and demand has remained high for pupils who simply cannot attend on the 5 day, Monday – Friday course. I’m pleased to confirm that this will continue into 2018.
On the subject of course features, there are a number of them that differentiate us from our competitors and the primary mechanism that prompts these enhancements is the feedback that we receive via our BIG TOM Customer Surveys. I continue to thank all customers who take the time and trouble to complete these as without this key feedback, our service would not continue to improve. I am also often humbled by the time taken by customers to provide customer reviews of their experience with BIG TOM – it takes a great deal of effort to provide a service that is reliable, trusted and creates successful outcomes, and I cannot tell you how pleasing it is to read the wonderful reviews that are received. Key features of our service include a home pick up/drop off (which our customers in rural locations tell us is incredibly valued), we provide accurate and structured assessments to customers of driving ability so that no pupil is left wondering how they are getting on. Our courses have flexibility for start/end times, the weekend courses have flexible duration to fit customers’ needs, and pupils are offered drinks on their course. 1 in 2 of BIG TOM customers pass their driving test on their first attempt which is higher than the national average, and customers get to choose where they take their driving test. There are plenty of things that we definitely do NOT do on our courses which I would very much like customers to know: we do not change driving instructors or driving school cars when pupils are on the course, we do not teach test routes, we do not add pressure on pupils to complete a theory test on their course. But if there is one aspect that defines the service we provide it is that we will happily assist customers regardless of lack of experience, learning difficulties or previous trauma. By not implying any “guarantee” of pre-defined outcomes, it enables us to adapt our training specifically to the needs of the customer – as opposed to expecting customers to adapt to our business model. It continues to be a significant difference that ensures safety and effective learning is promoted. “Effective learning” is a cornerstone of my driving school as it is recognised in the industry that pupils can be “taught” to pass a driving test, but if essential road safety skills are not developed into the long term memory, then it is highly debatable how appropriately the pupil has been served.
I continue to assist trainee driving instructors as well as established driving instructors and this last point of “effective learning” is extremely important for positive road safety outcomes in my work with them. The integrity of the service provided by DVSA registered driving instructors is reliant upon being able to facilitate the development of meaningful driving skills for pupils, and there are so many skills needed of the driving instructor to make that happen – it is ultimately what differentiates the quality of driving instructors.
I would like to congratulate all my customers this year who have attained their goals, the effort that I witness from my customers is incredibly inspiring to me and continually spurs me on to provide whatever resources I can to assist them in their cause. Safe driving everyone.Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year…. tom”
