A hard-to-describe feeling is that feeling we get within ourselves when we recognise that we are learning and loving it. You instinctively know that what is happening is good for you. There is a sense of slow moving, waves, of good feeling from the chest area, almost like your heart is on some kind of pulsing super-charge. Your soul radiates warmth and good vibes. You look around you and everything you observe is shrouded in positivity. It is almost drug-like. It is extraordinarily difficult to describe, but for sure, we all know when it is occurring.  

Some trainers can make the process of learning seem almost dreamlike, where in that moment in time, you are whisked away into another world. All perception of time is lost, your worries in the world are temporarily halted and you are engrossed in the learning environment. It is a joy to be in that moment. And yet other trainers can make learning seem so dull and monotonous, you cannot help but wonder why they do what they do for a living. You sit there, glazed eyes staring at a fixed point, you are in a semi-state of consciousness where your heart rate is reduced, your senses numbed and this inner voice in your head saying, “Why? Why am I here?”  And that experience is incredibly self-harming; it subconsciously scars us, and we become very wary of allowing ourselves to waste our time like this again. Because if there is one thing that most of us find intolerable, it is having our time wasted. BIG TOM customers come to BIG TOM because they do not want their time wasted.  

This kind of ‘dinosaur’ trainer will typically signpost to their learners moments of particular importance (this is going to be in the end of course test folks – nod, nod, wink, wink).  It’s almost a sign of recognition that the training is so mind-numbingly boring, that they feel compelled to have to make a special effort to try and grab attention just for these particular moments. There is a momentary spike in fight/flight/freeze impulsive reaction, because it is absolutely imperative to pass this test, if for no other reason than you don’t have to experience all of this again. When the moment passes, back to being in a state of near comatose again. This is about the lowest form of ‘learning’ that one could possibly have to endure. It is all about being seen to go through the motions, as there is a seeming necessity to constantly ‘persuade’ the poor learners of the integrity and worthiness of such low-grade training content.  

Standards are indeed important. BIG TOM Admin and their trainers will use the DVSA Driving Standard to ensure the training programme content adheres to the syllabus. For example, a customer who lives in a town with no dual-carriageways will be practicing them, thoroughly, in at least one other town/city. The same goes for large, multi-laned roundabouts or steep hills or busy town centres or sharp country road bends. We make use of 4 hour sessions of deliberate practice to ensure our customers experience a range of driving conditions. We are not limited as to what we can offer our customers to practice due to where they live. So, yes, our training programmes are meaningful, relevant and have integrity – we do not limit the duration of the course to a fixed length. As important as all of that is, it doesn’t detract from the necessity of a good trainer. Two chefs could be given the same high-quality ingredients but create two entirely different outcomes.   

The delivery of driving training for the BIG TOM Franchise is incredibly important to our values. We have induction training for this specific reason and we know it is not a given that all instructors will successfully progress through it. With the guidance of a specialised franchise consultant we carefully created a contract that ensures fair outcomes for all eventualities. If you are interested in joining the franchise, you are welcome to see our agreement and we recommend having a legal specialist to check out the detail for your peace of mind. 

 Call us on 01928 508 833 and ask us to send you our Franchise Information Memorandum.