IAM 'Skill for Life' increase

[martine]

From a HQ memo...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The price of the Skill for Life programme will be £139 for both Cars and Motorcycles from 2nd April 2009

·The new price will not apply to Group sales until 1st May 2009 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ouch - that's a 40% increase and the discount for under 26s is scrapped.

Of course you and I know it's still excellent value but the mildly interested general public may take some convincing.

[jont]

Of course you and I know it's still excellent value but the mildly interested general public may take some convincing.

Increasingly poor value compared to RoSPA though (never mind ADUK days!)

[zadocbrown]

Ouch! I think we need to have a big push to recruit during April

[martine]

Increasingly poor value compared to RoSPA though (never mind ADUK days!)

Ahh but you get what you pay for...

[martine]

Ouch! I think we need to have a big push to recruit during April

Yes lets get all the groups to sign up loads in April and no one for the rest of the year.

So £139 for what is probably 20+ hours tuition...in my group we do 3 classroom sessions of 2 hours each + maybe 10 drives of 1-2 hours each (not fixed but that would be my guess for an average) so still remarkable value for money and compares very favourably with track days, pass-plus etc but I think it's still going to be a hard-sell to many.

£139 is what...3 tanks of fuel, 2 tyres or 1 service?

[GS]

Ouch! I think we need to have a big push to recruit during April

Yes lets get all the groups to sign up loads in April and no one for the rest of the year.

So £139 for what is probably 20+ hours tuition...in my group we do 3 classroom sessions of 2 hours each + maybe 10 drives of 1-2 hours each (not fixed but that would be my guess for an average) so still remarkable value for money and compares very favourably with track days, pass-plus etc but I think it's still going to be a hard-sell to many.

£139 is what...3 tanks of fuel, 2 tyres or 1 service?

Your group appears to offer a lot more than most if this is what an associate can expect.

Most of the people who come for a test have had about 5 or 6 runs and no classroom work at all. If your group offers all of the above, very well done.

[martine]

Yes Bristol Advanced Motorists aren't the best IAM group for nothing (ducks for cover)...just a quick look at our website will confirm (ducks for cover again).

http://www.iam-bristol.org.uk

[MGF]

There was me thinking that associates don't pay for tuition.....

Seems increasingly like they do.

[jbsportstech]

I was told of this at the motorshow by IAM rep, but he said £129 early next year.

[Jonathan]

Another thing they've dropped that isn't so widely known about is an additional promotional discount for clubs & societies. I was helping on a stand at the NEC Classic Motorshow a couple of years ago and we were approached by a rep who told us we could register for an additional £10 discount over and above the under 26 discount provided we ran the occasional driving tip in our magazine and distributed a few flyers. I contacted them a few months ago and was told (as I'd been expecting) they'd had to cut back on that too. Don't think we recruited many anyway!

£139 is still great value all things considered. I'm a bit surprised they cut the under 26 discount though, can't see most students (for example) having that kind of money sitting around doing nothing.

[Angus]

I'm beginning to wonder if the IAM actually wants new members - or even to keep those it already has.

In the early 90s when I did it, you paid for local group and test (including first year's membership) - total about £40-45. I already had a copy of Roadcraft. With the skill for life package, there's about £50 which they must call "admin" but I call "profit".

I'm sorry, but increasingly I feel the IAM is irrelevant to most drivers - advanced or otherwise.

Incidentally, does anyone know how many drivers take the test but don't renew their membership after a year?

[SteveG]

I'm beginning to wonder if the IAM actually wants new members - or even to keep those it already has.

Now there's a good question.

I'm sorry, but increasingly I feel the IAM is irrelevant to most drivers - advanced or otherwise.

I completely agree. Despite running a very expensive motoring trust - boy the head man at the AA must have laughed when they took that off his hands - they are routinely ignored by the press and broadcast media. On the very few ocassions they are asked to give a view on something (such as the proposed 50mpg NSL) their response only mentions advanced driver training as an afterthought.

Incidentally, does anyone know how many drivers take the test but don't renew their membership after a year?

Not sure what the current state of play is with that (Martin will know) but as recently as January of this year IAM HQ were claiming that their IT system couldn't produce this type of information. If that is actually the case (which I personally doubt) then maybe they should sack their IT department en-masse - it might reduce the annual membershp by a few quid.

Oops, is my cynicism showing again?

[Gareth]

I'm beginning to wonder if the IAM actually wants new members - or even to keep those it already has.

This thought struck me also, and I wonder if there is a possibility that the IAM HQ want to transition away from promoting advanced driving and instead to become a pressure group along the lines of BRAKE.

Trying to be more rational, I suspect the HQ fixed costs have to be spread across a smaller number of people becoming interested in advanced driving each year, and the increased prices are a way for them to balance the books.

Following on from that thought, I wonder where the money actually goes, given that local groups consist of volunteers. How much money does the main body need, and is the money they receive being well spent?

[jont]

I also wonder if they are more interested in the corporate market - where other commercial providers would be significantly more expensive still.

Following on from that thought, I wonder where the money actually goes, given that local groups consist of volunteers. How much money does the main body need, and is the money they receive being well spent?

How much accountability does HQ have to the groups? I guess if ultimately it's a charity, the charities commission would have to say if they are meeting their stated goals?

I guess the problem for the groups is they can't exist without the umbrella protection of the IAM - at least from a liability insurance point of view?

[TripleS]

I'm beginning to wonder if the IAM actually wants new members - or even to keep those it already has.

I'm sorry, but increasingly I feel the IAM is irrelevant to most drivers - advanced or otherwise.

Yes, I would say you're right.

To me they are doing nothing to support or encourage the enthusiastic driver, or even promote more interest in driving generally. Another contributor wonders if they are simily going to become another version of BRAKE. I fear he may be right, in which case they are next to useless and might as well pack up completely.

Apologies to all those dedicated people at local group level who try so hard to really do positive things. I feel dismayed and depressed at the way your efforts are being undermined - by your own HQ!! It's quite sickening.

Best wishes all,
Dave.