My student enjoyed the class work (as much as the curriculum allows) and certainly enjoyed the instructor. However, when it came time to pick up the permit at the DMV, we spent OVER 2 HOURS trying to find her record because her name was spelled correctly on her DMV confirmation page was correct, but what they sent the DMV had two letters flipped in her name (according to the DMV). So, some of this may have been the DMV's fault (can't tell) but DriveSafe would not let the DMV clerk speak directly with the person who could check or correct her record--again, FOR OVER 2 HOURS! The processes at both organizations are terrible (and, yes, I've put in a complaint with the CDOR DMV), but I will never trust DriveSafe to get it right again.
LE
Liv E.
DMV friendlier. Save your money!
The only reason I gave one star is because my reviews of the Westgate & Pierce DMV’s were so glowing that I tried to give them 6 stars, but could only give 5, so I was feeling generous. It’s interesting to read the reviews of this place. You can tell that those that spent thousands (and I mean thousands) of dollars would never get failed, so those folks leave happy. Those of us that just come in for a simple $80 drive test are the majority of the unhappy ones writing reviews. I have a few reasons why I would never let anyone I care about use this place. Save your money & go to the DMV. It’s like the Twilight Zone. Everyone at the DMV was friendly, helpful & really seemed like they enjoy their jobs. Didn’t feel that way at DriveSafe.
I am a 41 year old woman that had a permit & made an appointment for a drive test at Greenwood Village location to get my license. It took me awhile to realize that I was assumed to be a multiple DUI offender. I believe this was judgmental & that I was discriminated against. The employees I spoke with kept saying over & over about my appointment, that “This is an Interlock.” I had know idea what this meant, but I trusted these people as the experts, so I didn’t question it. I was so bewildered after I failed my test & looked up what Interlock was & it’s the breathalyzer that starts your car. Let me say that I am a teacher & if this was the case I would not have a job. I have never had a DUI. I would like to think that even if I had received multiple DUIs & was able to get my license back that I paid back my debt to society & not feel as though people were treating me different because of the mistakes I had made in the past. This was unprofessional & there should be no room in a business for discrimination.
I’m not sure if my drive instructor, Eric, is always unfriendly & condescending, but he sure was the day I had him. I had another instructor, Jaco, in the car with me & he didn’t say 2 words to me. I have seen some other reviews about Eric & his unprofessional demeanor, so I’ll leave it at that. I’m sure DriveSafe is the one that tells the instructors to be as knit-picky as possible in order to fail us, frustrate us & make us lose confidence so we fail the free retake & then we start paying them more money for further instruction.
After I failed, I called to make a complaint to a manager. I originally spoke with Sandy, this woman is the only person that I had any interaction with that was even remotely pleasant at DriveSafe. She herself gets 5 stars. Thank you for being kind & understanding! She transferred me to Jack. I told Jack about my concerns, he of course stood behind DriveSafes procedures & ‘high-standards’. I told him that Eric said I couldn’t wear my sunglasses because he had to see my eyes & were they were looking. I told Jack that next time I would wear my sunglasses because my eyes are so sensitive & it helps me stay safe. His exact words were, “Well, if you do that we’ll have to take off more points.” He was on speaker phone when he said that & my mom was in the room. I thought she was going to go through the phone.
I took my test at the Westgate DMV. I told them about the policies & safeguards at
DriveSafe & they were appalled. I asked my instructor if I could wear my sunglasses & he said, “Why wouldn’t you be able to? It helps you see the road.” When we were done with our test, he said, “Well, this time you passed very easily. You are clearly a very safe driver.”
I was very shaken after my experience with DriveSafe & I think it was unprofessional & pretty disturbing the number of issues I experienced. I am a teacher at a private school & my mom has been a teacher in Cherry Creek School District for 40 years. We will both do everything in our power to keep our students and anyone else we can from using DriveSafe. I am a AAA member & will share my experience with them. I will call both Tom Marteno and the BBB.
JJ
JJR
I would never recommend this company to…
I would never recommend this company to anyone. They were absolutely terrible to deal with. They told my daughter she had "the best driving skills they had ever seen" but then failed her on her drive test for ridiculous trivialities. It's a scam designed to get you to pay more money. Save your money and make an appointment with the DMV, as painful as it sounds.
RO
Robert
This location was not very professional…
This location was not very professional to me. There was an in in a classroom. I arrived at the location and was treated like I was a teenager. It ended up being no big deal, but the lasting impression was they need to realize paying adults are not kids. And perhaps when something involvs their kid, of coarse parents will want to know what happened and have questions. I have another child who will be driving in two years, and there is no way I'll be going back. Nor will I recommend this location to anyone as it is very unprofessional.
Response from DriveSafe Driving SchoolsMay 17, 2018
Hello Robert,
Thank you for your feedback. We strive to continually improve our customer experience.
Your review seems to indicate that you were in some way mistaken for a teenage student. We apologize if that was the case. We do offer introductory programs for our parents to help them understand the drivers education experience and provide post-drive updates as well. Many parents tell us how invaluable this information is, especially with the complexity of state requirements. We strive to help parents and students address any questions during this exciting and stressful time.
As a company, we teach both teenagers and adults how to drive. Driving is a learning experience regardless of your age or level of experience. Parents often mention that they learned new things about driving thanks to what we taught or advised their students to do. Our intention is to inspire others and build confidence while teaching a lifetime of safe driving habits.
Regardless of where you send your other student, we wish you and your family the best—and a lifetime of safe driving. Feel free to reach out if we can assuage any of your concerns. We’re happy to help!
Sincerely,
The DriveSafe Team
GR
Great!
Great teachers and flexible hours…
Great teachers and flexible hours available.
Response from DriveSafe Driving SchoolsMay 9, 2018
Hello,
Thank you for the feedback! It’s great that our awesome teachers and scheduling team made the difference for you. Let us know if there’s anything else we can help with.
Thank you,
The DriveSafe Team
PO
Parents of New D.
Very Happy with DriveSafe!
We bought a package that included 30 hours of classroom instruction, three 2 hour driving lessons as well as permit and driver's license tests and we couldn't be happier. The classes and driving lessons helped our child prepare and feel confident. Taking the permit test and driver license test at DriveSafe was so much easier, time effective and less stressful than going to the DMV (you just go to the DMV after doing the test at Drive Safe to get your permit/license). Our child loved it, we loved it. Staff was always professional and helpful and instructors were knowledgeable and engaging.
Response from DriveSafe Driving SchoolsMay 9, 2018
Hello,
Thank you so much for the kind words! We always strive to go above and beyond in teaching our students to be safe drivers. It’s great to hear you had such a wonderful experience with our office staff and instructors. Please feel free to reach out if there is anything else we can assist you with.
Thank you,
The DriveSafe Team
NA
Never A.
HORRIBLE experience
The DriveSafe instructor we had was inappropriate with our teenage daughter. He made her very uncomfortable and insisted she allow him to follow her on several social media accounts. She thought she should play along so that he didn't fail her on her driving test. The fact that we PAID to have our daughter feel this way is not only wrong, but deplorable. Shame on you, DriveSafe for allowing men like that to be alone with young girls.
Response from DriveSafe Driving SchoolsMay 3, 2018
Hello,
Thank you for coming forward. We deeply apologize for this experience. It does not represent the quality of work and care our instructors provide daily while teaching over 10,000 students each year to be safe drivers for life.
The conversation you describe is in clear violation of company policy. Our instructor policies are specific on the expectation that instructors are conversing with students on matters relevant to safe driving.
Our ongoing work to ensure a high quality, safe driving experience includes strict hiring standards, exceeding those required by the State for driving schools, in-car recording systems and routine instructor audits and evaluations. Instructors who violate our policies for professionalism are removed from service with our company immediately.
We can assure you that the behavior of this one instructor is in no way representative of the DriveSafe organization and instructor team. While it is difficult to find the appropriate words to convey our deep apology, your student’s experience offends us on every level and will drive us to find even more ways to protect the hearts and minds of the students entrusted to us.
Sincerely,
The DriveSafe Team
JE
Jeffrey
This program is perfectly designed for…
This program is perfectly designed for my kids.
Response from DriveSafe Driving SchoolsMay 9, 2018
Hi Jeffrey,
We try! Glad to hear that our program is the perfect fit for your family.
Thank you,
The DriveSafe Team
