Golden State Driving School Inc.

Negative experience: Lacking customer service, communication, and overall professionalism: Paid for a full 3 lesson package. As someone who does not get many opportunities or time to practice on my own, I needed to get this experience out of the way ASAP. Scheduling and communication was a constant issues. I would provide when I am available over the phone and set up appointments. I would several times be contacted DURING my work hours which I informed them of, just so they can update me that the time no longer works. Before my first lesson, I was called the day before and asked if I was okay if there was another passenger in the car. I thought it was bizarre because they did not explain who the passenger would be at all. I agreed because I just wanted to get my lessons done; and I had little experience. The car for that lesson was also unkept and a bit messy. It went well for a first lesson and getting used to driving which I had not done much at this point. I was only given very simple feedback on what I was doing wrong. Scheduling issues and communication issues get worse: The instructor who was giving me lessons was now experiencing car issues so I couldn't receive my second lesson for a while. They would tell me they would call me and update me about the situation but they never did (e.g. "I'll let you know by tomorrow" but no call would happen that day). I would have to be the one contacting every time just to let them know that the vehicle was still unavailable; and they did not suggest giving me another instructor until VERY much later. Even THEN I had to continue to go out of my way to schedule it myself since I did not get updated. This delayed my 2nd lesson by about 2 months. My 2nd session however was very helpful! I had a different instructor who would explain CLEARLY how I can improve and let me know how to avoid mistakes instead of simply pointing them out whenever I made them. They seemed like a real instructor that used positive feedback and clear communication to guide a student instead of abrupt criticisms. Their car was also clean and they were very prompt with pick-up and drop-off. I schedule my 3rd lesson a month or so later, and a week before that sessions I get a call asking to DELAY the appointment to the next day. I begrudgingly accept because I NEED to take these lessons and don't want to wait too much longer. 3rd Session: Instructor (the same as the first session) arrives about 5 minutes late. Car is just as messy still. We drive around possible testing routes. They give very little feedback or communication about improving my driving skills. Very similar to my first session, I only receive comments and criticisms when I make a mistake but never ideas or concepts on how to avoid mistakes or how to improve. I am then asked to park in a parking lot for a store for them to use the bathroom for around another 5+ minutes while I wait. In addition to the tardiness and this break, the driving ends our sessions 10 minutes before a full 2 hours. When asking what I can improve on, I am giving very simple answers without much elaboration or help on how to improve. I then ask about SEVERAL specific areas to improve on and they agree to each; which they for some reason omitted when I asked earlier on how to improve. I wish I could have gotten the name of my 2nd instructor because I truly believe they are amazing; however my other experiences felt very unprofessional and very unconstructive. I do not recommend overall due to communication issues and professionalism

Fantastic experience: Yolanda and Dago are amazing instructors - on time and experienced. My son Alec definitely went to his driving test well prepared and confident- Passed first try ;) Also affordable rates - Will also use this company again for my daughter! Thanks Virginia De robertis

Negative experience: Can I give zero stars? This company has not been customer service oriented at all. They are not automated enough to shcedule appointments without calling, but RARELY asnwer the phone. If you are lucky enough to get an answer, they have very little availability. BEWARE they will cancel whatever classes you have if you don't do it within 9 months. It is on the receipt and they have NO flexibility or customer service skills. On top of their poor management, my child says the instructor was difficult to understand.

Negative experience: Won’t recommend this his school

Negative experience: I have had nothing but problems with this company. The first incident was when the instructor dropped off my teenage daughter at a different drop off point then I asked them to. It was dark and she was left in a parking lot. Every time that I spoke with someone to schedule appointments or bring up a concern, they were unprofessional. On the last scheduled driver's instruction, the female instructor showed up in an old toyota that was dirty inside. There was garbage inside and it was very outdated. The instructor was very passive aggressive toward my daughter and it made her very uncomfortable. She told my daughter that she would be tested on parallel parking, which was not true. She should not be working with people, let alone teenagers. This place is a rip off and a scam. Please do not waste your money.

Fantastic experience: Yolanda is the BEST AROUND! She’s super chill is a great communicator as well as professional and friendly. I would HIGHLY recommend this business to anyone serious about getting their license. Thank you Yolanda for helping me gain confidence on the road and pass my drivers test on the 1st time !!!

Fantastic experience: Golden Gate Driving school was awesome , our kid passed her dmv license test with ease … a special shout out to , Daugo- VERY professional , easy going and totally supportive ! Other school charge tons more … this is an honest local business . Would recommend to every parent I know :)

Negative experience: I won’t recommend this school . Instructors make u so anxious and stressed in the road . Their cars are so dirty and old . They even arrived late your pickup location.

Fantastic experience: I passed my drive test in one go! I needed a few classes and a car to do my drive test on very short notice. Thanks to Anthony and Jolanda everything worked out great. They where very accommodating, we planned 6 hours of lessons last minute and reserved their car for the drive test for me. Jolanda was my instructor, she is very kind, supportive and professional. I was nervous due to previous driving school experiences, but Jolanda made me feel right at home. Definitely recommend Golden State Driving School, great value for your money!

Fantastic experience: My name is Jamisha, and my Samantha is a student. You guys have been beyond amazing and patience with her. You guys are great!!

Negative experience: They take $30 off the top for refunds and also the guy on the phone is rude, DO NOT GO HERE!!

Negative experience: D perez did a great time teaching me how to drive. Didn't catch his name but the guy who answered the phone seemed kind! I had to miss my second lesson due to Covid and they charge a $50 fee for that (fine). Here's the bad part. When I had to reschedule the only option to get a sooner driving lesson would be to meet at the Clairemont location with a different instructor. I agreed to it however I should've seen this as a red flag. I live 15 minutes away and I think it's odd that they wouldn't just pick me up the same way the other instructor had done. Especially because it was an agreement in what I paid for. However I wanted my license asap so I obliged. I made my way to Clairemont and I see one person outside of the unit which was Yolanda's daughter. She was kind and peaked into the unit to tell Yolanda that I was here. As I walk inside she just looks at me.... no hello, no greeting, no anything. She just asks if I have my permit and I said yes. Then she's just walking towards the door without saying anything so I walk out as well, awkwardly down the steps to a car that I'm not sure which is hers. As far as a driving lesson I wouldn't even call it that. She seems so upset and angry and had an attitude with me despite me not saying much to her because I was uncomfortable. This is only my second driving lesson and she had an issue with every T-intersection we reached. I would stop and then pull forward for a secondary stop but before I got the chance to even stop... she would freak out before I even did the secondary stop! Without giving me a chance. It was super weird honestly. For the most part if I made a mistake she would just tell me what the mistake was... rather than telling me what the correction should be. I just remember thinking to myself I should just tell her I wanna stop the lesson... but it's something I had paid for in advance so I just had to keep going. I literally could not stop looking at the clock waiting for it to be over so I can get out the car with her!! Mr Perez was patient and an actual teacher. I'm a late bloomer and getting my license but I feel bad for any teenagers who have to work with her. If you decide to use this service (out of desperation) request Dago Perez! Avoid Yolanda all costs. Not to mention she had the radio on while we drove which was extremely distracting. Very unprofessional. After making it back to the unit... she says you owe me $50 (the cancellation fee). Like I said the $50 fee was fine it's just the way she asked. She's very uncouth and lacks people skills which is needed for service jobs. I chose this specific location because I wanted to support a local black businesses but I have my regrets.

Negative experience: Very unprofessional. The driving instructor showed up a day early for the lesson. He said that it was a mistake on his part, and when I called, another employee also said it was a scheduling mistake on their part and ensured that I would not be charged a cancellation fee. The next day another employee calls to tell me that I would be charged a cancellation fee. Is it that hard to keep track of these things? Find another driving school if you want any kind of decent service.

Fantastic experience: Amazing service! Yolanda was my instructor and she was super patient, kind and understanding! Gave great feedback during the drive. I selected the 3 session one and it was awesome, easy to schedule out and great support. Passed my driving test first go after my 3 lessons! It’s great you can also schedule and pay to use their car/services to use for the dmv driving test. Definitely recommend !

Positive experience: My driving instructor was extremely patient with me, I was even able to drive in the freeway my last lesson. The person you book the appointment with is a woman, she is really apprehensive and you have to thread carefully with her. The instructor was the good part. They have their own car that has a second brake just in case. The car has a huge sign on top that lets other cars know you are learning.

Negative experience: We booked three prepaid lessons with Golden State and after the first lesson, which went fine, our schedule changed and we had to cancel the last two lessons. After several calls we finally got a hold of them and they agreed to refund us for the last two lessons minus $80 in cancellation fees. That was two months ago and I'm still waiting. I've called and emailed to no avail.

Negative experience: Worst experience~~ Coach did not show up at appointment time, ask the office and the rude staff said the coach was admitted to hospital and never come back. No reschedule, not able to refund, claimed she sent a voice mail which we did not get. Paid 279 USD for three driving class and get nothing. A 100% fraud. I cannot believe this kind of company could exist in San Diego. Please be very careful, DO NOT go to this place.

Fantastic experience: Hooger is the best, definitely would recommend !

Negative experience: I bought 3 of these at the same time for my daughters. 2 went through no problem. However, once COVID hit, my last daughter was apprehensive to get into a closed vehicle with anyone. We waited about a year later for her to take her last lesson, at that time, we were told they would not honor it and we would have to buy another session. I explained because of COVID we did not want her in a car with anyone, we followed strict COVID protocols as we have a first responder in the house. The person would not work with me. I realize that she is an employee following the owners rules, but a little grace during a global pandemic would have been appreciated. I will never recommend this place to anyone and I feel there are so many other options out there, that you can do better than this place. Drivers were fine, so this is not about them, only the owner and their policies.

Fantastic experience: My driving instructor Shawn was very nice and was always on time for my lessons. I ended up using their services for my drivers test and passed. The prices are very reasonable and worth the money.

Fantastic experience: My instructor was Mr. Hooger, who was very professional, knowledgable, patient, and kind. I would consider him one of the best instructors around, and would highly recommend him. With the relatively low price, I was expecting bad instruction or a hidden fee for the certificate, however I was very wrong. I received my certificate right after my 3rd lesson, and I learned a lot from the instructor.

Fantastic experience: nice school,i did my lessons with one of the instructor yollanda ,she is the best ,she was so patient ,good communication with me ,always on time for all three lessons that i had.i would recommend it a good driving school for everybody ,especially for teenagers yollanda will know how to handle them.because she is so patient.

Negative experience: Terrible experience. Spent months waiting to get an appointment for my son, and finally the day has come, and what happens? No SHOW by the instructor. We immediately sent an email with no response for 2 weeks now. 2nd scheduled lesson, go figure. Another no show. Still haven't heard back from the company, they changed the phones to go straight to voicemail, and I'm out $300. That's about as shady as can be. The least you can do it respond to me, provide customer service for your business. You can't just take money and then not provide the service and then ghost me for months! Terrible waste of time and money, and my poor son still can't drive due to this.

Fantastic experience: HOOGER, my driving instructor, was absolutely amazing!!!! After having him as an instructor for my second lesson with Golden State driving school I feel more than ready for my behind the wheel test. I highly recommend him over anyone! I’ve only had one other instructor at this driving school, but I can guarantee you that Hooger is the person who will get you to pass your test!!!! He is patient, kind, intelligent, and I couldn’t be happier that he was my instructor. If there’s anyone more qualified than him I would truly be shocked!!!! Trust me. I am late in this driving game, I am 29 years old and having a baby in a month, and he made me feel comfortable, safe, and stress free, and I am so unbelievably thankful for the best lesson that I’ve had. I could cry happy tears!!!!

Fantastic experience: I got 6 hours behind the wheel classes with them and passed the driving test at the first time.

Negative experience: Horrible!! don't use this Driving School!! Change of ownership!! I used this school 4 years ago for my son and loved it. However, I signed up my daughter in March last year for the class and driving lessons, PAID IN FULL. She took the class, no problem. Had to put off doing the driving lessons due to a hand injury. Called today to schedule driving lessons to find out that they won't honor the package, new ownership. Said it had expired and were very RUDE. New owner is horrible!! DON'T USE THIS SCHOOL, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Fantastic experience: St first i took my course with an instructor which wasn't that good. Then I decided to change and i took the 2 courses with (shwn, Haval). He is the best. I passed the driving test from the first time.

Fantastic experience: Friendly instructors!

Fantastic experience: Had lessons with Sean and Alex. Both are great instructors and are very thorough with preparation for the driving test. Highly recommend Golden State Driving School!

Fantastic experience: Thank you so much alex for helping me to get my license!!

Fantastic experience: Alex helped me pass on the first try

Fantastic experience: After meeting Alex, the driving instructor, I felt confident my daughter would be in good hands and have a positive experience learning how to drive. Alex listened to my concerns and addressed each one. I will be calling him to teach my next child very soon.

Fantastic experience: Giving Golden State a 5-Star review is simply not enough. Their instructors are punctual, courteous and extremely knowledgeable. Both of our children learned much more than just how to pass the DMV Driving Test, they learned how to drive. Both were more than prepared and confident when they took their driving test, but more importantly to me as a parent, is that they are now prepared and confident to drive in today's conditions. I very highly recommend Golden State and guarantee you and your child will not be disappointed.

Fantastic experience: Great school! Alex was very helpful! My daughter had three different instructors Adam,Maria and Yolanda and they were all great.My daughter was very anxious about the test and after these driving lessons she felt much better and passed. Thank you !

Fantastic experience: This driving school helped me pass my behind the wheel test! The drivers are excellent teachers and I've learned alot on how to be a better driver. I would recommend them if your looking for a great driving school. Thank you for helping me to become a better driver and pass my test!

Fantastic experience: I am so thankful for Golden State Driving School. The owner Alex is awesome and does everything to make sure that his clients are very well taken care of. I would recommend anyone taking driving lessons at this school. Although I had three instructors, Alex for the majority, they were all consistent in correcting my mistakes and what I needed to make a good driver! Thank you again Golden State Driving School! Money well spent!!

Fantastic experience: Me gustaría tomar clases de manejo con ustedes no se absolutamente nada de manejo y kiero aprender favor de contactarme

Fantastic experience: Incredible Instructors, they help me get my license and become a safe and confident Driver.

Fantastic experience: Gives you all you need to pass the driving test and more. I'll recommend them to anyone in San Diego.

Fantastic experience: My instructor Yolanda Midgette gave me best instructions. I followed her instructions, practice, practice and practice, I got confidence, I passed the test. I like Yolanda

Fantastic experience: My daughter had Oscar. He was very patient and awesome!! Highly recommended

Fantastic experience: They were awesome! My son's instructor, Oscar, drove him on the DMV route the day before he took the exam, and he passed despite having far fewer than 50 hours of actual practice driving. Highly recommend them!

Fantastic experience: I had a really good experience with Adam. He made sure that I understood all the basics of how to change your mirrors to hand placement. I highly recommend this school for its great value and instructors.

Fantastic experience: Best Driving Instructor ever! I got my license a couple of months ago, failed my first time, passed on the second. Sam was great, professional, patient, and knows what he is doing. Thank you Sam

Fantastic experience: for new learners or any learners ask for Shawn! I Passed my License today! and couldn't be more thankful to Shawn! This Driving School Is Legit! and the best ones in San Diego!

Fantastic experience: This is my second time with this school. We used them three years ago, for my son, and we were very pleased, so we used their services again, for my daughter. It's been a great experience, both times, with both the driving instructors, and with the staff behind the desk. Everybody were nice, professional, and helpful.

Negative experience: My school offers free driving school with this company,so I did it. I did not purchase the time with the driving instructor at this time for my own personal reasons,so at the end of the course they refused to give me my certificate of completion,or to anyone else unless they had bought time with the golden state driving instructors,because they claimed that if i had not paid for that,then i did not have permission from my parents to be in that course(). (This was not mentioned to the class,EVER,coming as a shock to everyone who did not choose to purchase time with their driving instructors) So my father had to drive down to their office,sign a piece of paper,and then they mailed my certificate to me. This establishment is extremely sketchy,I just bought my first scheduled time with an instructor and whoever answered the phone was very unprofessional,almost rude. Also,the instructor that came to my school was never on time,he even missed a few days (even though we were told that if we missed more than one day to not even bother coming back) So moral of the story,you get what you pay for.