Phil's Driving School

Negative experience: Phil’s driving school is very unprofessional and unorganized. I was scheduled to have a test today and they chose to tell me at the time of my test that I am not on the schedule. They also informed me that there was nothing I can do about it even though I already did my 2 hours practice prior. Cassie took me off the driving test scheduling without informing me. I would also like to add that one of the instructions was very unprofessional and made me feel uncomfortable. He made very weird comments and I was informed by another instructor that he constantly makes inappropriate comments to students. Do not go to this school.

Negative experience: My daughter test was scheduled for April 9th. She was removed from the testing sheet by the owner Casey Hubelblank without being notified by anyone, until she arrived. I spoke with Shirley Hally, who informed me that technically, Ms/Mrs. Hubelblank was not supposed to to remove her unless they notified her. Shirley, then decides to say she is going to sent my daughter to a much further location and if they can’t get her scheduled in time, then my daughter will just have to retake her permit test, which would be an additional costs to her. Shirley then made it personal, by starting to point out that my daughter waited too long to come get her test and when I said she is young and driving on unfamiliar roads could be scary, she became rude. She even made a comment that “this has nothing to do with my daughter’s race,” and no one brought race up! She threw everyone in the building under the bus except herself. I would never recommend this place if it was the last place on earth. And they have an instructor who they admitted to getting complaints of him being in appropriate, driving with my daughter and doing just that. I’m gonna file a complaint with Motor Vehicle and Better Business Bureau.

Negative experience: Unprofessional on road instructor.Made unnecessary comments,vapes and distracting.Sceen employees better..Gary

Fantastic experience: I had three lessons with Victor, and he was outstanding! Excellent instructor and could communicate well what he was teaching. Very polite and friendly, as well. I strongly recommend him and Phil's Driving School. Best, Nazli (c/o Chas)

Negative experience: I can agree with others in saying that this driving school is not at all a good option for new drivers. This school will not properly prep you to pass your exam. The instructor I drove with made random and offensive comments throughout the entire lesson. He also vapes excessively. He does not value time management. He stops frequently for bathroom, smoke, and gas station breaks. Taking time away from a paid lesson. Not to mention the unprofessional comments and rudeness he displays.He even admitted himself that he goes overboard. Even Casey the owner is quite stoic in person. I urge you NOT to attend this school if you want to succeed and become a confident driver.

Fantastic experience: Great experience Instructor Casey gave me alot of pointers at my behind the wheel appointment. We also practiced my weaknesses. In result I passed my road test. Thank you again

Fantastic experience: I did my 8 hrs drug and Alchohol class also 2hrs of behind the wheel practice with phills driving school and had an exceptional experience! From the initial booking to the final lesson, the staff were friendly, professional, and accommodating. My instructor, Gary, was fantastic! He was patient, calm, and provided clear instructions, making me feel at ease behind the wheel. The school's vehicles were clean and well-maintained. I appreciated the flexible scheduling and the ability to book lessons at times that suited me. I passed my test first time, thanks to the school's thorough preparation and guidance! I highly recommend Phills driving School to anyone looking for a reliable and supportive driving school. Great value for money, too! *Shout out to Kathy who met me at the DMV with the car to do my test she was awesome DONT HESITATE TO CHOOSE PHILLS DRIVING SCHOOL!!!!!!

Fantastic experience: Casey made my life very easy when it came to preparing for my drivers test. I highly recommend anyone looking to prepare for their driving test to come here!

Negative experience: They are nice people but unfortunately very unprofessional. In particular I found it so distracting during the driving lessons that some of their instructors were always talking or commenting about some random building or restaurant nearby where we were driving. Maybe this is nothing for some people but for someone who is learning how to drive for the first time this is just so distracting and unnecessary. Also in my first lessons I was always feeling so uncomfortable because the instructor was acting annoyed whenever I would make a mistake. Like I was literally paying for that lesson and was getting an attitude on top of it. I chose them because I really liked the 8hr online class with Cassey but from there on there was always something off with them. Definitely not the right driving school for me. I had to switch to another driving school to pass the road test.

Negative experience: I am not a customer of the school, but I was just driving home from work and saw one of thr Phil's driving school vehicles being driven around by a woman, texting with one hand and smoking with the other, using only 2 fingers to steer. I was shocked to see that in a driving school vehicle. Very dissapointing.

Fantastic experience: took an 8hr online driving class, 2 hr driving instruction class and passed my license test on first try here! my driving instructor advised me to test here instead at the dmv and i'm so grateful i chose to do it here instead! very straightforward and friendly people here, no confusing instructions or tricks- trust that they have your best interest in mind. my driving instructor for the test was very helpful– cracked a joke and made small talk to help me get comfortable. i was always anxious about my road test but it barely lasted 10 minutes before it was over. i will always recommend this place to my fellow friends who are new drivers.

Fantastic experience: Instructor Victor is one of the best driving instructors! He is respectful and very patient with his students. He is considerate of everyone's time and makes sure to utilize every second of your lesson. Victor goes above and beyond for his students and it's clear he cares about their success. If you want the best instruction, I highly recommend Victor! As for the school, I would consider Phil's driving school to be very middle of the road. Realistically, it's a bit expensive and at times, the quality of their services are not up to par. However, they care about their students and will make sure you leave there satisfied and with your license! I definitely recommend Phil's and if you're looking for the best instructor, go with Victor!

Negative experience: I paid for the course for my friend three days later he couldn’t take the course because he was incarcerated. I told the owner of the school that I need a refund. I also informed him why I couldn’t take the course. He told me he was sorry for the issues that I was currently going through in life and not to worry. He said once my friend’s released, he will be able to take the course. At that point I didn’t wanna refund because I believe his word. I trusted him!! Months later my friends and of course Ashley one of his employees is avoiding me. She’s not even answering the phone. She put me on the block list after being completely rude to me on the phone!! I’m asking that this business pay me my money back or allow my friend to take the course !!!

Fantastic experience: Definitely recommend whether doing the full course or the basics. Great value and experience. My daughter did the home training, so we just needed the 8 hour safe driving class and a few behind the wheel lessons to polish her to DMV standards. She had lessons with Gary and Rob. Both instructors gave her unique techniques that helped her pass her test on the first attempt. They were both patient, reassuring and knowledgeable! Casey did a great job on the 8 hour course, making it engaging so it didn't even feel like 4 hours each day. Ashley in the office was very helpful in getting everything scheduled and making sure we knew what was needed and when so we had no wasted time.

Fantastic experience: PDS is an affordable and excellent option for quality driving lessons. I have had lessons with both Gary and Diane so far, so I will go over both. Gary: Gary is a great instructor who makes the driving experience enjoyable as well as comfortable with his funny and bubbly personality. He pays attention to what your good habits are as well as bad, and will push you to reach your full potential as a driver. Diane: Diane was my first instructor at Phil’s driving school. She will make you feel at ease and comfortable while driving. I went on the highway my first lesson with her.

Fantastic experience: Your experience will highly depend on the instructor you get. I was lucky enough to have Casey as my instructor for most of my classes. He was really patient with me and showed me everything that I needed to know for the test!

Fantastic experience: The dmv demanded my drug and alcohol certificate when I got my permit which they later ended up losing, preventing me from being able to schedule my driving test. Phil's was cool about it and issued me another without charging me a fee.

Fantastic experience: I passed my test recently and it’s all thanks to this school. My instructor was Gary who was very patient with me while I had anxiety driving and encouraged me to take my test even when I second guessed myself. Their prices are also more affordable compared to most other driving schools. I had one lesson with another driving school before and it was horrible— the instructor made me more anxious and was snapping at me instead of teaching me. So I only took the rest of my lessons at Phil’s! I’d like to mention that Tina was also very kind and motivated me the day of my test. Thank you guys!!

Fantastic experience: Casey is awesome. I took the 8 hour required class with him and he was great. Super engaging and energetic at 8:30 in the morning! definitely recommend Casey!!!!

Negative experience: Super unsatisfied with Gary (the instructor) who screams at you for every mistake and makes sarcastic comments. He also made some very weird comments about some of the other students would not recommend

Fantastic experience: Amazing place to learn your driving lessons!! They helped me so much, and I pass the test with flying colors on my first test! My instructor most of the times was Casey, he was terrific! Really easy going, explained everything so nicely and was extremely helpful. He also gave me a 2 hour lesson before my road test, and came with me there, I find it so helpful. Really everything is great, easy to contact them. They have a great secretary name Ashley , that will help you with everything.

Fantastic experience: I've taken 8 hrs course and 2 hrs behind the wheel training. It is worth to get training from here. With friendly and responsible manner, Instructor Casey extremely helpful to build confidence in me while practicing for on-road driving and Tina as an exam staff has an art of cracking nervousness on the test date. Highly recommended and value for money.

Fantastic experience: Go to Phil's to learn how to drive and pass the road test if you are someone like me that had never driven before. Ask for Casey if you are anxious about driving for whatever reasons. He is very responsible, extremely patient and very composed, absolutely 100% focused on instructing you during the behind wheel classes. Have experienced other instructors from Phil's-takes certain personality to be able to appreciate the "Gary" style and it certainly doesn't help when someone shouts and makes sarcastic comments all the time while you are anxious about driving to begin with. However, if you know all about driving already and you just need a quick course to pass the DMV test, Gary is your guy-he would point out every fatal mistake you made in a style that you are unlikely to make the same mistake again. I also drove several times with Vince. He is neat, composed and very understanding though he does talk too much (mostly about himself) and couldn't take his eyes from his phone for more than a few seconds. He is a bit too relaxed about instructing in my opinion. Ashely is the person to schedule the classes and suggest the right instructor. She has been very accommodating and quick when she can though it might take a while to get hold of her. She is not always there to pick up the phone or call you back. There is also Tina- she delivered me to the DMV on the test day and she is cool and warm, bubbly and prompt and I thank her for the pep talk on the way. I recommend this school, you will find at least one instructor there that you would like to take lessons from. Not necessarily the 1st one , or the 2nd one.

Negative experience: Gary is an unsafe driving instructor. He jerked the wheel at 40 miles an hour, and spent the whole two-hour lesson berating the student for having scheduled an evening lesson and complaining about Ashley, the scheduler. Ashley was also extremely unhelpful and rude. Casey is a very nice and patient instructor but he doesn’t teach behind the wheel very often, so I don’t recommend Phil’s because you might get stuck in a horrible situation with someone like Gary.

Fantastic experience: I had a pleasant experience with Phil's Professional Driving School. I took a mandatory 8-hour course (Casey), 6 hours of behind-the-wheel lessons (Casey), and booked a car for the DMV test. Casey did his best to make the mandatory course useful and shared various tips and tricks during the course. I also enjoyed driving with him around the DMV and New Haven. There were no issues during the road test, which I passed on the first try.

Fantastic experience: Everybody was very helpful and kind.

Fantastic experience: I did 8hrs of driving with Phil's and the safety course. I passed my driving test and all the staff were extremely helpful in the process (Vince and Gary as instructors, Tina as exam staff) - accessible, and wanted me to pass. Recommended and great value for money!

Fantastic experience: Casey the mandatory 8hr course instructor was knowledgeable and exciting enough to keep his students awake. My driving instructor Vince was patient and composed. Phil’s is an excellent option for anyone with minimal experience.

Fantastic experience: I am posting this review late.. I had my driving test at Hamden DMV in Nov last year it went well I passed I took 2 classes with them they told everything and I drove in the area near DMV which is the best thing and above all they have small cars for test which is easy to drive and reverse. I sent my wife to this school and she took 2 driving classes with Gary and she passed on Jan 25 last month . Thanks to the Phil's team and Gary

Fantastic experience: Phil's Driving School is a great place to go when you need to get your driver's license. The instructors are accommodating and understanding no matter your driving skills or age.

Fantastic experience: GARY IS AWESOME

Positive experience: Gary was pretty tough for a good reason but he made me pass also props to will for passing me on the first time

Fantastic experience: Very informative, covers all material needed to get you driving safely. Highly recommended!!

Negative experience: ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE experience here. I WOULD NOT EVER recommend anyone EVER to come here! This place is completely unprofessional. For one no one ever answers the phone. Secondly their so unorganized, I had paid a large amount of money for classes that ended up getting sent to someone else which in that case I never received a receipt for my payment as well.They cancel my classes that I had scheduled with them when they took my initial payment over the phone and somehow sent my receipt to someone else. Furthermore I was just over the whole experience. I asked them to issue me a refund however I was promised that I would get a free lesson for their confusion and discrepancies if I didn’t go through with the refund which I decided not to and I still have yet to receive my free lesson but they took my money with no problem. If I could give them NO stars I would. Very unsatisfied. DO NOT COME HERE SAVE YOURSELF THE HEADACHE!

Fantastic experience: My. Daughter attended the entire sessions. And She got her license on the first try! Thank you phil's driving school!

Negative experience: Impatient instructor with an attitude. Instead of giving advice he would complain and make sarcastic comments , he was no help at all. Very unprofessional

Negative experience: Please don't take any service from this school, they are absolutely terrible. I booked a car for my road test on 21 may 12:45, they told that driver will come and he will pick you up from the place. But that's not happened. Exactly at 11 they called me and said that I can't provide any service to you because you are not a student of our school and refunded my money back. Staff doesn't know what to ask also, shame on them. They don't know from how long I came to give road test...just they said sorry and they terminated call. Because of this people I lost my slot, my time and a Day of my work, still I am struggling to book my slot as no slots are available in connecticut. Thought of not writing review but that pain made me to write. Please think before booking any services from them

Fantastic experience: Signed up for their 8-hour adult driver's ed class on their website, then found a cheaper version through Groupon. I sent them an email, and they refunded me the difference immediately. I really appreciated the good communication and customer service.

Negative experience: Horrible experience. The instructor vapes the whole time on car and shouts at you. He is very unprofessional and the price is expensive for the quality of work.

Fantastic experience: My son Kyle Frenette just did an 8 hour alcohol & drug class with Mr.Casey & he was an excellent teacher who explained everything in detail and had alot of patience with all forty of the students who attended the zoom class ! I highly recommend him & phils driving school .

Fantastic experience: Great time! I was there for 8h class for 18yr or more. The instructor was nice and they have some snacks or coffee for you!

Negative experience: Very expensive and not impressed with the instructors. One was older and did no instructions, the other vaped the whole time.

Fantastic experience: Great school I had Gary and Casey as my driving instructors. They were great, just great. They worked with me until I was a safe driver by reminding me the rules of the road, drive in areas that I was incormfortable, and practice important driving techniques. I took my test and pass on the first try. The inspector said i was a very safe driver. I will recommend anyone to come to this school to learn how to drive.

Fantastic experience: GREAT driving school and the best instructors not only in NH county, but in CT. I tried several schools in the State and this is definitely the best one. My instructor Gary gave me the best and real instructors. Passed my DMV test very easy with no stress.

Negative experience: Not the easiest to communicate with

Fantastic experience: Good driving lessons wirh Gary and easy convenient way of booking the car for the driving test!

Fantastic experience: My driver instructor Gary was very nice very knowledgeable gave me some good advise pass my road test on the first time

Fantastic experience: Diane is an amazing teacher who is very patient and breaks things down step by step. It was completely worth getting professional lessons. The lesson packages are also a great value.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic school. After a horrible experience with another school in West Haven, three coworkers of mine who got licenses recommended this school to me. I had Diane, who was patient, understanding and helpful. Learned to parallel park and got on the highway.

Positive experience: It was wonderful.to work with the professional