*Sigh*

My day yesterday included a test – a lot of my blogs are aimed at assisting my pupils, but this blog is more a reflection for myself.

The test was due to start at 13.35hrs, I finished a lesson in Stamford at mid-day so had very little time to get over to Bourne.  My customer had completed 30hrs of in-car training about 2 weeks previously, over a 2 week period.  So he had done 3 hrs each weekday over 10 days.  When we finished on Day 10 he had booked up a test slot in August with the intention of getting a cancellation.

What happened a few days earlier was that I started getting text/emails from him whilst my family and I were at The Millenium watching a GB footy match.  The thrust of what was being asked was whether I could fit in a test yesterday.  These kind of communications tend to be rather disruptive in our life, as you have to remember, our customer is literally on the DSA booking system, waiting for a reply to either tap ‘enter’ to book a test, or not.

When my customers book up a block booking, they are entitled to a 2 hr introductory session for just £20 at the start of the course.  This particular chap hadn’t managed to find time to book that slot.  After I had checked my diary and seen the Stamford booking yesterday morning, I explained to him that whilst it would be tight on time, it was possible – and he then booked up the test.  I then got a further rally of texts from him saying that he wanted to fit in the 2 hr intro session before the test too – asking me could I fit that in.  We are talking Wednesday evening here... the test had been booked for just 3 days later and I was now being asked if I could fit in 2 hrs on the Thursday or Friday.  I wasn’t able to fit in 1/2 hr let alone 2 hrs and we then had a rally of texts/emails the thrust of which were expressing disappointment/anger/frustration/annoyance that he had booked the test, and yet I was unable to fit in 2 hrs before the test.   This was all happening literally while we were in The Millenium. 

So fast forward to test day.  I finished the Stamford booking, managed to get over to Bourne and had about 2 minutes to get into a local Sainsburys to use a loo – and I managed to get to my customers home address for 12.29 which I was chuffed that I had achieved.

My customer got in the car, showed me all the necessary documentation for the test, paid the fee and then drove to Peterborough.  The journey started with a couple of stalls at a nearby roundabout, and he began to sound resentful of going to test, saying that he had very little cash at the moment, he didn’t feel ready, he wanted to have the 2 hrs to help prepare and it all sounded very depressing, very negative and I was left in no doubt that this ‘situation’ was being placed squarely at my door.

We got to Peterborough at 1.10pm, he drove to the vicinity of the Test Centre and we drove in to the Test Centre at 1.25pm.  The atmosphere in the car was depressed, much like the atmosphere outside, and the heavens opened as he drove into the Test Centre car park.  My customer made a spectacular botch of parking up in the bay, and we both ran into the waiting room.  I had taken a jacket for him should it still be raining as he went back to the car, I had my ‘DJ Mag’ with me and quite frankly was looking forward to having a few minutes break, as by then I had been on the go for the last 5 hrs with no break bar the 2mins using the Sainsburys loo. 

There were 2 candidates waiting for that slot (inc mine) and the examiners came out and asked if we would mind delaying the start as the rain really was pouring down.  But after a few minutes, the examiner came out, checked my customers documents, and asked if he wanted his driving instructor to attend too, to which he turned to me and said “Oh I don’t know, do you want to come Tom?”, which I replied “It is entirely your choice”, and he said “Oh well, I guess you may as well then”.  Charming I’m thinking.

He passed the test with 5 minors. 

We got back in the car, and drove back to his home address.  It is all very unfortunate.  He was clearly pleased but I was able to detect there were words being unspoken even at this stage.

This person came to me as an absolute beginner, never driven before.  He had received 30 hrs of my training over 2 weeks, and within 4 weeks of starting the training, had comfortably passed the test with 5 minors on his first attempt, and yet .....

I texted him once the dust had settled later in the day, asking him (as I ask all my customers after they have completed their training) for either feedback of what could have been better, or any words for my testimonials section on the website – 24 hrs later, I’ve not heard a single word.