Q1 2021

112 | Q1 2021 Sep20084 Driving Success Established in 2011, Drive Bug is an independent driving school delivering tuition in and around Lowestoft, and surrounding places such as Great Yarmouth, Beccles and Southwold in the heart of Suffolk. Having recently found success in the UK Enterprise Awards, we got in touch with Jeff Tuck to find out more about one of the best independent driving schools in East Anglia today. Drive Bug aim to deliver driving courses and tuition that will provide all knowledge and understanding to be a good safe driver on the road for many years. Going into further detail, Jeff gives us a brief overview of the firm and offers more insight into its clientele. “Drive Bug offers driving tuition to pupils of all ages from 17-65 years of age. Typically, our range of services include beginner lessons for the novice, refresher courses (for those that want to brush up on their driving), intensive courses, advanced driving courses, Pass Plus, instructor training, motorway lessons and theory training. Delivering the best possible course for each individual has helped us become very popular among the local community, and build a five-star rating amongst our clients.” Across East Anglia the firm are in direct competition with several other independent driving schools, however as Jeff goes on to explain, its client-focused approach and ability to work with people who have special education needs has allowed the firm to stand out from the crowd. “Pupils are taught using a client centred learning technique (CCL) that incorporates a modern coaching styled approach to determine the pupil’s best preferred teaching method. People on the autistic spectrum can find learning to drive a very challenging experience, so to support their needs we conduct a lot of research and study where appropriate to enable these pupils to pass their test. Doing your research and getting customer feedback is essential as you’ll always be able to improve your services and rank higher in the ratings. The results of an SEN pupil passing their test when others have told them they would fail is most rewarding to say the least.” Despite being a one-man band, Jeff is regularly supported by another company called Adindi Assist as he explains further. “By handling all my phone calls, text messages and payments for lessons, the company allow me to concentrate on teaching and providing an excellent customer service. Without the office I wouldn’t be able to function as I do so efficiently, these guys are an essential part of the driving school.” COVID-19 has seen many driving instructors throw in the towel especially if they are caught up in a heavy franchise within a large national school. Being unable to pay a weekly franchise with no income is a very sad and unfortunate situation. However, as Jeff points out, this has presented opportunities to the school which it has been able to take advantage of. “After coming out of lockdown, we found ourselves taking on a lot more work and in this situation the independent school has the upper hand.” Bringing the interview to a close, Jeff discusses the main benefits of the firm’s location before sharing some of the exciting plans in store for 2021 and beyond. “Being based on the east coast of Great Britain is a good place for independent driving schools. For some reason, the bigger national schools like the AA, BSM and RED are not that popular, and I think it’s because clients prefer to support local businesses. Moving forward, the most obvious change to take shape in the future of the driving training industry will be the introduction of the electric car. As of yet many are still using either petrol or diesel driven cars, however in the next 10-12 years we will see a drastic change when we all convert to electric vehicles. Some already teach in electric cars, but I am yet to make the switch so that will be a big change when it occurs. “Beyond this, we will be looking to expand by recruiting more driving instructors. Ideally, I’d like to have another five instructors working independently on a small franchise within the next three years. Furthermore, I’d also like to develop more fleet training for corporate companies and offer more ADI instructor training.” Company: Drive Bug Contact: Jeff Tuck Website: www.drivebug.co.uk