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Complaints Policy

Version: 1.0
Updated:
18th April, 2023

At Shift Driving School, we strive to provide the highest quality of service to our customers. However, we understand that there may be occasions when a customer may wish to make a complaint. We take all complaints seriously and aim to resolve them promptly and fairly. This policy outlines the process for making a complaint and our commitment to resolving complaints.

Making a Complaint
If you have a complaint about any aspect of our service, you can raise it with us by:

  • Speaking to your driving instructor or a member of our office team in person or over the phone
  • Emailing us at complaints@shiftdrivingschool.co.uk
  • Writing to us at Shift Driving School, 15 The Workspace, The Fed, Lancaster Road, Gateshead NE11 9JR

When making a complaint, please provide as much detail as possible, including the date and time of the incident, the name of the instructor or staff member involved, and any other relevant information.

Complaints Procedure
Once we receive a complaint, we will acknowledge it within 48 hours and provide you with an estimated time frame for resolving the issue. We will then investigate the matter thoroughly and provide you with a written response within 10 working days. In some cases, we may need to take longer to fully investigate the issue, in which case we will provide you with regular updates on the progress of the investigation.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the option to appeal the decision within 7 working days. To do so, please provide us with a letter outlining the details of your appeal. This can be sent via any of the methods listed above. Your appeal will be reviewed by a member of staff who was not involved in the original investigation. They will provide you with a final response within 10 working days.

We hope that we can resolve any complaints or issues you have with our service through our internal complaints procedure. However, if you are still not satisfied with the outcome after following our complaints procedure and receiving a final response from a senior member of staff, you have the right to escalate your complaint to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) by clicking here.

Please be advised that you are at liberty to contact the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) directly at any stage during the investigation, and are not obliged to engage our services as an intermediary. However, we earnestly implore you to grant us the chance to resolve any concerns internally before escalating the matter, as we are dedicated to providing our customers with the utmost standard of service.

We take confidentiality seriously and will only share information about your complaint with those who need to know in order to investigate and resolve the issue. We will keep a record of your complaint and our response in accordance with our data protection policy.

We value all feedback, including complaints, as an opportunity to improve our service. We will review all complaints and use them to identify areas where we can improve. We will also share feedback with our team to ensure that we are constantly striving to provide the highest quality of service to our customers.

Pottsi P.
1 week ago
Found an instructor quickly. Julie was a fantastic teacher all the way through and set me up perfectly to pass first time. Special shout out the guys in the office and to Lisa who squeezed me in for a few last minute drives before my test.

Highly recommend.

Tom
Garry D.
7 months ago
recommends
Highly recommend Shift Driving School. They were an absolute pleasure to deal with from start to finish. Special shout out to my instructor Hassan, who taught me from scratch in just under 6 months. I had no previous driving experience at all and he talked through the steps and skills needed clearly, always supportively pushing me to be my best. Delighted to have passed at first attempt! Couldn’t have done it without the team at Swift and Hassan. Thank you!
Abigail L.
3 weeks ago
10/10 experience learning to drive with Julie! She was patient and very lovely, she gave me the confidence I needed to pass my test. I really enjoyed each of my lessons and will miss them! I would recommend this school to anyone
Denise W.
1 year ago
recommends
I 10000000% recommend this driving school my instructor has been appsalutly amazing he had so much patience and really helped me through all my lessons then he recommend me a nervous course which really helped me as I really struggled with my nerve on my test but I finally done it and passed my test and I wouldn't have been able to do it if it wasn't for lewis so thank u sooooo much :)
Izzy B.
3 weeks ago
I've had an absolutely fantastic experience with Shift from start to finish. I was assigned an instructor incredibly quickly after my first enquiry, and from the very first lesson to passing my test (first time with no faults!) I was supported incredibly well.

Simon helped me go from someone that had panic attacks after attempting lessons a few years ago, to being so confident behind the wheel that I have no reservations about going out and driving.

It was an absolute pleasure learning to drive with Shift and I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone.
Webdeco.
2 years ago
recommends
What a great company to not only learn to drive with, but to actually work with too. We would highly recommend Shift without a doubt.
Lankaji L.
3 weeks ago
I had an excellent experience with Shift Driving School. My instructor, William Stanton, was professional, patient, and incredibly supportive throughout my lessons. He explained everything clearly, helped me build confidence step by step, and always made sure I understood not just how to drive, but why things are done a certain way.

Thanks to his guidance, I passed my test on the first attempt! I highly recommend Shift Driving School to anyone looking for a calm, knowledgeable, and reliable instructor.
Josh A.
4 weeks ago
Today I passed my test!! I've have really enjoyed my lessons with Shift! There was a little bit of a wait but now I know why. I passed first time with my instructor (I had two because my availability changed) and you can tell by the way all of the instructors are with eachother that this is just a great school. The app is really good too. Would definitely recommend Shift Driving School.
Emily A.
2 months ago
10/10 experience when learning made sure I was confident and cool ready for the test . Entirely grateful for the pass !!!very grateful for the help of Lewis as an instructor!!!
Shannon H.
2 months ago
Absolutely amazing driving school! Simon was brilliant from start to finish, and I couldn’t have wished for a better instructor. I had a previous bad experience with a different driving school which left me feeling anxious and lacking in confidence, but from my very first lesson with Shift, Simon made me feel at ease and supported me all of the way through. He has such a lovely, calm manner, is suuuuuper patient, and has an amazing way of explaining things differently if you don’t quite understand or if something isn’t sticking. My work shifts changed quite a lot due to changing jobs mid-way through my lessons however Simon was so good at swapping things about in order to fit my schedule and really did whatever he could to allow me to get the most out of my lessons.

I Just passed my test first time and I owe all of my credit to Simon. Lewis also sat in for a mock test last week, and he was also amazing - super calm and made me feel really at ease. Could absolutely not recommend learning with this driving school enough, and I’m going to really miss my lessons with Simon going forward! This is such a big achievement for me and I can’t thank the driving school and Simon enough ☺️❤️