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Looking professional
At all times be professional in your approach, and this includes the way you dress. Arriving for a driving lesson wearing flip-flops, shorts and little else may not only cause offence but it also does little for your image – not only to your client but also to others who see you when you get out of the car. Female and male instructors should dress smartly and modestly - the client should not receive any misleading signals.
Keeping it sweet
Now we come to delicate matters of a personal nature. We have been talking about your good reputation. You may be one of the best instructors in the country, but if word gets about that you have a problem with personal hygiene you will not obtain many customers. Normally when humans interact with each other a little dance takes place. Many people may not even be aware of what they are doing, but this dance is about personal space. Most of us are constantly manoeuvring to maintain an open area between us and the rest of the population. We all know how uncomfortable we feel when other people disregard the normal social customs and insist on getting too close. As a result of this manoeuvring for space, the occasional whiff of BO or coffee breath is not much of a problem. But when teaching you will be in very close contact with your clients. Personal issues that may not be a noticeable problem in a normal open working environment may become more of a problem within the confines of a car. So, be ‘clean and sweet smelling’ but do not wear overpowering perfume or aftershave - you may have your client gagging.
Other personal issues
If you suffer from dandruff, do not advertise it by wearing dark clothing. If you are a male of a certain age keep your nose and ears trimmed. Young people may find examining minutely a bushy nostril or ear from one foot away both fascinating and repellent. Either way you will not have your client’s full attention. Your hands will be on close display throughout the driving lesson, so keep them clean and your nails trimmed. Then, if you need to grab the steering wheel quickly you will not inadvertently scratch your client. If you visit the toilet during lessons, make a show of drying your hands when you return to the car or use hand wipes. If you have a long, hot, working day, especially in a car without air conditioning and you cannot return home to take a shower between lessons, you should carry a suitable deodorant and a change of shirt/top in the car. Oral hygiene is obviously extremely important. Take a close and critical look at your teeth because your clients will – whether they want to or not. If you do drink a lot of coffee or smoke, it may be a good idea to carry a mouth freshener of some kind or discreetly suck mints.
Car code
Keep your car clean and tidy. It should not look like the inside of a skip. It should not even look like the inside of the average family car, as it should be as close to immaculate as time will allow.
Odours
If necessary, open the windows between driving lessons to get rid of any odours from your previous client. Carry something like Febreze in the boot but, as some people (including examiners) are allergic to them, be careful about when you use air fresheners. Use baby wipes to keep the steering wheel, gear stick and handbrake clean. Do not allow smoking in the car as it is now illegal. It is also a legal requirement that you should have a no-smoking sign displayed.
Seats
If your car does not have air conditioning, it might be a good idea to use a beaded seat cover on the driver’s seat. This will keep the seat dry for the next customer. If you use one on the passenger seat, remove it before tests because examiners may refuse to sit on them. (Examiners claim that if the car has to stop suddenly, they may slide under the seat belt.) Some instructors buy cars with leather seats because they are easier to keep clean and hygienic with a wipe over with a medicated wet wipe, but these seats can become very hot and sweaty in the summer, particularly with very nervous clients.
Safe conversation
Be totally professional during the driving lessons. Never use bad language. Never give offence or alarm by indulging in innuendo, flirting or suggestive jokes. This is especially true when dealing with young people. Probably the best way to gauge this is to imagine that the client’s parent is sitting in the back seat listening to your conversation. Be careful about what you say. No doubt you will have views about various matters and you may debate these points at home or in a pub where you know your audience. But airing your views and prejudices during driving lessons could backfire. Even if your views do not bother your client, they may go home after the lesson and repeat your remarks, and probably out of context. Third parties may take offence.
Physical contact
Apart from a brief handshake on the first meeting, never touch your client. For example, when buckling the seat belts let your client go first so your hands do not meet. If you touch the client by accident, a quick ‘sorry’ may be in order. Occasionally clients can become emotional. If they start to cry, be sympathetic but on no account should you touch them, whether it be by holding a hand or by giving them a hug. This kind of action can very easily be misconstrued, especially if a parent or spouse hears about it later on or if you are seen doing this by another member of the public, their parent or a prospective client. If you use your car with its driving school signs and you give your spouse a lift, take care not to kiss them goodbye. A member of the public who may have been considering taking driving lessons with you may not know it is your partner. Is this the way you usually say goodbye to your clients? Word will soon get round, whether it was innocent or not. Being firm
You must be firm when dealing with payments and you should be prepared to deal with any money-related problems straightaway. Do not let back payments mount up. The fee for one missed driving lesson may look quite acceptable but, if you multiply this fee by five, you may be looking at over £100. This then starts looking like very serious money indeed, especially as it will be for driving lessons that have already taken place. You should be polite and sensitive, but money problems definitely need to be addressed at the very beginning. Apart from anything else, you cannot afford for the word to get around that you are a soft touch. You must also be consistent. You cannot be hard with client A and more accommodating with client B. They may know each other and you may have to try to justify your inconsistency. Generally, always be friendly but firm. You will be respected for it.