[Survey of 1,047 people who attended driving schools] Choosing based on low prices leads to a higher transfer rate!? The real relationship between "low price" and "satisfaction"

Re Crea Co., Ltd. (https://www.recrea-solutions.com/) (Location: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Representative Partner: Eiji Tsuruta) conducted a survey on "regrets regarding driving schools" targeting individuals aged 10 to 50 who obtained a regular driver's license (AT-exclusive) by attending a driving school (not a camp).

Against the backdrop of rising daily prices, the opportunity to prioritize "price" when choosing services is increasing.

It is natural that more consumers want to "reduce costs as much as possible" even for driving schools.

However, while price competition intensifies, there are many cases where a gap arises between the cost and satisfaction based on the actual driving experience, such as "the training environment was different from what I expected" or "I didn't get along with the instructor" after enrollment.

To objectively clarify how consumers' "awareness of price" and "post-enrollment satisfaction" are related in this inflationary period, Re Crea Co., Ltd., which supports the management updates of driving schools, conducted an actual condition survey targeting license holders nationwide.

This report summarizes the data on the divergence (gap) in perceptions of training experience and quality of instruction between those who prioritized price and those who did not.

We hope this survey will serve as objective judgment material for consumers who want to make choices without regret, and as basic management data for everyone in the driving school industry to reconsider their own value proposition and promote the "creation of a high-quality instruction environment" that does not rely on price competition.

\Available for free!/

What are the factors that lead to regret in choosing a driving school, as revealed by the survey results?

A white paper summarizing the reality of choosing a driving school based on data, the impact of prioritizing price on satisfaction, and points for driving schools to become "chosen entities" is available for free download.

Download the white paper here

"Ease of access" is the top point prioritized when choosing a driving school! On the other hand, a certain number of people also prioritized "low prices."

First, when asked about the "most important point when choosing a driving school," the highest response was "ease of access from home, school, or work" (58.9%), followed by "low prices" (15.1%) and "good reviews and reputation" (10.0%).

About 60% prioritized "ease of access," and since it is necessary to attend many times over a certain period, whether one can commute without difficulty from their living area seems to be the primary condition for choosing a driving school.

On the other hand, "low prices" also ranked high, suggesting that a certain number of people choose based on economic factors, such as how to reduce the cost of obtaining a driver's license.

Reality of enrolled driving schools! Complaints about dirty facilities and unclear schedules also heard.

So, is there a difference in satisfaction with the driving school attended between those who chose based on cost and those who chose based on other factors?

From here, we compared those who prioritized "low prices" when choosing a driving school with those who prioritized "other than low prices."

When asked, "Were the facilities and environment of the driving school you enrolled in (waiting room, restrooms, training cars, etc.) adequate?" the following results were obtained.

In both cases, the positive responses, combining "somewhat adequate" and "very adequate," exceeded 70%, indicating that a certain level of facility standards was maintained overall.

However, the response "not at all adequate" was 1.9% for those who prioritized factors other than low prices, while it was 8.9% for those who prioritized low prices, a slightly higher proportion.

This result suggests that dissatisfaction arose regarding facilities such as waiting rooms and restrooms due to prioritizing cost reduction.

Now, what about schedule management, which is important for progressing with training?

When asked, "Was the schedule (graduation date) of the driving school you enrolled in clear?" the following results were obtained.

Regardless of the points prioritized when choosing a driving school, about 90% in each group understood the schedule at the time of enrollment or while attending, suggesting that progress was managed systematically at many driving schools.

[Driving School Satisfaction] About 30% of those who prioritized low prices responded that they "regretted it"!

Considering expectations before enrollment and actual schedule management, what was the final satisfaction with the driving school?

When asked, "Are you satisfied with the driving school you enrolled in, or do you regret it?" the following results were obtained.

In both cases, more people were "satisfied," but when looking at the combined percentage of "somewhat regret" and "very regret," it was about 20% for those who prioritized factors other than low prices, compared to about 30% for those who prioritized low prices.

This result suggests that choosing solely based on low prices can lead to cases where expectations are not met after enrollment.

When asked those who responded "very regret" or "somewhat regret" about their enrolled driving school, "In what aspects did you regret your choice of driving school?" the following results were obtained.

In both cases, the top three regrets were "the instructor's quality or attitude was poor," "the instructor's teaching methods or instructions were inconsistent and confusing," and "it was difficult to book lessons," with the same answers appearing.

Regardless of the points prioritized when choosing a driving school, problems such as dissatisfaction with instructors and difficulty in booking lessons tend to lead to post-enrollment regret.

Among them, those who prioritized low prices had a higher proportion (about 40%) who responded "the instructor's quality or attitude was poor" compared to those who prioritized factors other than low prices.

When prioritizing cost reduction, there is a tendency to feel a gap between expectations regarding the instructor's service and teaching policy.

Are unpleasant experiences at driving schools common? Top 3 unpleasant experiences are "intimidating behavior," "poor language," and "emotional yelling."

The results showed significant dissatisfaction with instructors, but what specific behaviors led to unpleasant feelings?

When asked, "Have you ever felt unpleasant due to the instructor's words or actions during training?" the following results were obtained.

In both cases, "intimidating behavior," "poor language," and "emotional yelling" were ranked high.

In particular, "intimidating or high-handed behavior (power harassment)" was 14.5% for those who prioritized factors other than low prices, while it was 28.5% for those who prioritized low prices, about double.

This result suggests a tendency to receive intimidating instruction when choosing a driving school based on cost.

Such instructor attitudes greatly affect motivation for attending a driving school, but

How many people actually wanted to quit due to unpleasant experiences?

When asked those who responded "very regret" or "somewhat regret" about their enrolled driving school, "Did you ever want to quit the driving school and change (transfer) to another school due to incompatibility with the instructor, unpleasant experiences, or dissatisfaction with the environment?" the following results were obtained.

In both cases, the most common response was "I wanted to quit but endured and finished the training," indicating that many people continued their training while experiencing dissatisfaction and stress.

On the other hand, the proportion of those who responded "I wanted to quit and actually changed (transferred) to another school" was about 20% for those who prioritized factors other than low prices, compared to about 30% for those who prioritized low prices, a higher proportion.

This result suggests that those who chose a driving school prioritizing cost are more likely to eventually be unable to tolerate dissatisfaction with the environment or unpleasant experiences and take the action of transferring.

A must-see for those planning to attend a driving school!? What are the key points to consider when choosing a driving school?

Finally, when asked, "If you were to choose a driving school again, what would you prioritize most?" the following results were obtained.

For those who prioritized low prices, half of them would prioritize "low prices" again.

On the other hand, for those who prioritized factors other than low prices, "ease of access from home, school, or work" was the most common.

Additionally, "the instructor and staff seem kind/approachable" was ranked second for both, suggesting that after experiencing actual training, many people realized the importance of not only cost and location but also compatibility with instructors and a psychologically secure environment.

Summary: The importance of "appropriate evaluation criteria" in choosing a driving school

This survey highlighted the reality that many users prioritize conditions such as "ease of access" and "low prices" when choosing a driving school.

However, analysis of post-enrollment evaluations revealed that satisfaction is greatly influenced by "compatibility with instructors" and "high quality of instruction" more than by conditions.

In particular, those who prioritized low prices most often experienced "mechanical responses" and "mismatches with instructors" after enrollment, resulting in cases of bearing extra time and costs such as transfers or re-enrollment.

Behind "low prices," there is often an operational system that prioritizes turnover, and the increased burden on each instructor is directly reflected in the decline in instruction quality for students, which is a structural issue in the industry.

Based on these findings, we recommend the following perspectives as "wise selection criteria" to ensure that the important process of obtaining a license is not a failure.

Driving schools are places to build the "foundation of safe driving" for a lifetime. Moving away from the simple measure of "price = value" and establishing a culture that emphasizes these "quality standards" will not only increase user satisfaction but also contribute to the overall reliability and sound development of the driving school industry.

Analysis results not covered here are available in our white paper!

This white paper clearly summarizes points that can be utilized for improving driving school value, customer acquisition, and DX, while considering the background of the survey results and industry challenges.

Read the full survey report [Free]

Re Crea Co., Ltd. supports the transformation of driving schools.

Re Crea Co., Ltd., which conducted the survey on "regrets regarding driving schools," is a consulting firm that provides management support specializing in marketing, DX, and M&A for driving schools.

Leveraging the experience of its representative, who has been involved in driving school management, and their expertise in management consulting, they provide end-to-end support from strategic planning to on-site execution.

They support the resolution of various management issues faced by driving schools.

Aiming to be a driving school chosen for "instruction quality" and "a secure environment," not for competing on "low prices."

Driving schools are important places to build the foundation for lifelong safe driving. However, operations that prioritize turnover to maintain low prices are taking away flexibility from the field, making it difficult to maintain the intended form of instruction.

We aim to transform this industry structure itself. We will lead the update of driving schools through DX and management consulting to eliminate mismatches between students and instructors and enable everyone to approach obtaining a license positively.

Main services of Re Crea Co., Ltd.

- DX Promotion Support

Supports operational efficiency and management improvement by utilizing digital technology.

- Digital Marketing Support

Supports marketing strategy planning and execution to improve customer acquisition.

- AI Implementation Support

Supports the utilization of digital technologies, including generative AI, to promote operational efficiency and organizational transformation.

- Branding Support

Supports brand building that leads to improved competitiveness by organizing the strengths and value of driving schools.

- M&A Consulting

Provides M&A support that considers industry-specific challenges and regulatory environments.

- Management Advisory

Supports the formulation and execution of mid-to-long-term growth strategies while working alongside management.

Service details here: https://www.recrea-solutions.com/

Re Crea Co., Ltd.

https://www.recrea-solutions.com/

Survey Overview: Survey on "Regrets Regarding Driving Schools"

[Survey Date] May 21, 2026 (Thu)

[Survey Method] Internet survey conducted by PRIZMA (https://www.prizma-link.com/press)

[Number of Respondents] 1,047 people

[Survey Target] Monitors who responded that they are aged 10-50 and obtained a regular driver's license (AT-exclusive) by attending a driving school (not a camp) at the time of survey response.

[Survey Source] Re Crea Co., Ltd. (https://www.recrea-solutions.com/)

[Monitor Provider] Sakurisa