Driving test in a few weeks time - bonus for driving instructor.

shreksaurus

Started learning how to drive 15 months. Had a terrible time last year. Went from instructor to instructor then found an amazing driving instructor last september. Had a few accidents in my own car last year too. So ended up taking a break from driving last november.

Started back with lessons in jan of this year. Have been getting weekly lessons. Break did me good. Not as nervous on the road. Improving every week. I'm confident doing the manouvres that will be asked of me in a test. Still some small things to work on.

Will continue with weekly lessons. And will get extras lessons the week before my test and also the week of my test. So its going to be an expensive week but it'll be worth it.

Just wondering do people give a bonus to their driving instructor when they pass. If so how much of a bonus should I give when I pass.

TheInquisitor

shreksaurus wrote: »

Started learning how to drive 15 months. Had a terrible time last year. Went from instructor to instructor then found an amazing driving instructor last september. Had a few accidents in my own car last year too. So ended up taking a break from driving last november.

Started back with lessons in jan of this year. Have been getting weekly lessons. Break did me good. Not as nervous on the road. Improving every week. I'm confident at the doing the manouvrer that will be asked of me in a test. Still some small things to work on.

Will continue with weekly lessons. And will get extras lessons the week before my test and also the week of my test. So its going to be an expensive week but it'll be worth it.

Just wondering do people give a bonus to their driving instructor when they pass. If so how much of a bonus should I give when I pass.

Nothing!! I think you've spent quite enough on driving lessons at this stage!! i had 6 lessons in total and passed first time...and never talked to my instructor again!

Random

I wouldn't give the instructor an extra penny. Why reward someone for doing their job properly?

If he went above and beyond maybe .. but I'd wonder how he could do this?

PCPhoto

if you have spare money and want to reward your instructor .... by all means - do something or give your instructor something to say thanks.

as another poster already said.... why thank someone for doing their job ?

Passing the test is the best reward you can give him/her..... best of luck with the test.

ps. just to add - I got my test first time and after a handful of lessons .... for me it was more about getting out and driving as much as possible myself - gaining confidence.

timmywex

The best reward you could give him/her is to recommend him/her to friends, so they get more business!

Cabaal

Tell them thanks a million if you pass and recommend them to people in future, its the best long term thanks you can give them.

You don't give a shop assistant extra money just because they worked the till correctly


In relation to passing your test, its not down to the instructors its down to you, I did 8 lessons total and passed my test just over 6 months after I got my learners permit, first time and all

Junki3

I was a Dublin instructor for 6 yrs. And in all those years i only ever recieved 1 tip. The person was so overjoyed when passing. I recieved 100e from her Parents. But the reward for the instructors is the pupil passing. GL with your test.

smellslikeshoes

Like has been said if you want to show appreciation send your friends the instructors way when they need lessons. If you're really set on showing appreciation personally send them a thank you card and a box of sweets or similar.

shreksaurus

Thanks for your replies. I was hoping to give him a bonus when i pass but not so sure now after what my sister told me today. Will start another thread later. My mind is scrambled.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Lollipops23

when i passes my test,my instructer made sure i rang him to let him know-he keeps a list of every single person he's taught with P or F beside their name. his reward was to add yet another P on his list(around 80% of his students pass after him teaching them). tbh lessons are so expensive i didn't consider giving hima tip.

sillyputty

I am due to sit my test for the first time this summer and i have never even thought about giving my instructor a bonus. Very interesting to hear peoples thoughts on it though.
I pay €40 a lesson, have had 16 lessons so far (due to new regulations) and will probably have a further 10-15 in the run up to my test so he will have made over €1000 (scary to think about) in my lessons so i don't think i need to give him a bonus.
I think the reward for an instructor who does their job right is word of mouth recommendations from former students.

J_R

Hi,

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

+1

I'm a driving instructor and over the years have received bottles of spirits, wine, stuffed animals, key rings and once a very expensive fountain pen, pencil set.

In the post received thank you cards some empty some with scratch cards or money enclosed.

Also received the odd hug

But you should not feel necessary to "tip", as donegalfella says, few referrals much better.

Instructor should be rewarded enough by the feeling of accomplishment of job well done.

One point, something have noticed over the years, all pupils are different, some are a joy to teach others a nightmare with all stages in-between.

I have never, ever received anything from the really difficult ones, not even referrals, whereas the "good" ones go off signing my praises.

jaffa20

sillyputty wrote: »

I pay €40 a lesson, have had 16 lessons so far (due to new regulations)

What new regulations:eek:

I'll never pay for that many lessons. I had 5 **** lessons from a crap instructor and went to a new one because i wasn't learning anything. Now i've had 2 and i've learned more in those 2 than i would have with 50 with the other guy. I've never really though about rewarding my instructor though.

macroman

jaffa20 wrote: »

What new regulations:eek:

I'll never pay for that many lessons. I had 5 **** lessons from a crap instructor and went to a new one because i wasn't learning anything. Now i've had 2 and i've learned more in those 2 than i would have with 50 with the other guy. I've never really though about rewarding my instructor though.

There aren't any regulations regarding lessons - just a new means of testing & regulating driving instructors. I think over in the UK they do on average 45 hours preparation before the test (combination of professional tuition & driving accompanied) - and you also need to get signed off on '5 steps' of driving before you can take the test. It's not the case over here - you can sit your test without taking any lessons (although...Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail )

sam34

i gave my instructor a bottle of wine when i passed and made a few recommendations

sunnyside

J_R wrote: »

One point, something have noticed over the years, all pupils are different, some are a joy to teach others a nightmare with all stages in-between.

I have never, ever received anything from the really difficult ones, not even referrals, whereas the "good" ones go off signing my praises.

Personality clashes between the instructor and learner seem to slow progress down. I changed instructors over that, it's so much easier to do the lessons with someone you would be comfortable chatting to in a social situation. It's nobodys fault but I don't understand why learners don't just call somebody else when that happens. Some learners who will spend €1000 on lessons call a driving instructor at random and stick with them forever.

I did a lot of lessons too, had nobody else to teach me. First instructor was useless, didn't teach me anything, just drove round a housing estate in circles. I found another who was brilliant. I did a lot of lessons with him, 2 a week for a while. He brought me out for the first time in my own car, taught me to back it out of the drive. He really did help but I think he got tired of me. I probably was demanding compared with others but I was paying for all my own lessons and wanting to make as much progress as possible. Then I was taking about applying for a test and he was saying I wasn't ready.

I decided he was always going to see me as a total beginner and the relationship had gone a bit stale so I didn't book any more lessons.

Then I found my 3rd instructor and did pre test lessons with her. I was starting from a differnt level with her because I met her at the test centre instead of having to be collected from my house.

I think changing instructors would be beneficial to a lot of learners.

I also feel thankful that teaching people to drive isn't my job.