When the pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to Houston-area businesses, Cy Fair Driving School felt the effects. But deputy director Shaik Ahmed said the company was trying to remain optimistic despite the difficulties – virtually adapting to guidelines and operating classes.
The school has since been able to resume in-person services, and Ahmed said business has been good compared to the start of the pandemic.
With 12 locations in the Houston and Dallas areas, Cy Fair Driving School offers courses that allow students to earn their Class C driver’s license, as well as tutoring behind the wheel, defensive driving and driving lessons. other courses.
Ahmed shared his thoughts on Cy Fair Driving School and their experience through the pandemic.
A: Cy Fair Driving School, LLC is so proud to serve Texans in obtaining Class C driver’s licenses. We all want to produce safe and courteous drivers on the roads. We offer: teen driving lessons, adult driving lessons, driving lessons for teenagers and adults, defensive driving lessons, parent-taught lessons. In addition to English, we also offer our courses in Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Persian and Bengali. We are regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR). We also perform authorized DPS road tests.
A: The driving school was named “Cy Fair” because it was taken from Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. Most of the owners and staff are ISD “Cy-Fair” graduates. We wanted to give something back to our community and to the “hands” that carried you across bridges, the best school district in Texas for its size. We are not affiliated with the district except we are so grateful to the wonderful people who raised us, our family members and now our children! It takes a whole village to raise a child, and it shows here at CFISD. We are educators and love partnering with the community to fulfill a need… to help obtain Class C driver’s licenses for our guests.
We have 12 locations in Texas: ten in greater Houston and two in greater Dallas. We started in 2014, and our staff and loyal customers ask us to let them manage or own a branch. We train and retain good-hearted people to run a branch. It is very easy and affordable to serve Texans by helping them obtain a driver’s license. Our website cyfairdringschool.com has all locations and details.
Q: When the pandemic first started hitting Houston-area businesses in March of last year, what were the impacts on your driving school locations? Did services have to be completely shut down for a while, or just in-person services?
A: When the pandemic started, yes, we were hurt to some degree, like many other businesses in the region. We must keep in mind that someone else is hurting more than we are, and we must be grateful servants of God. Things could always be worse, so we should count the blessings and look for opportunities to improve. Opportunities are not always given: you have to make them happen! The clouds in the sky are temporary, then the sun shines. After the difficulties and trials, things become easy. Creative and innovative people survive. We have followed all County, City, DPS and TDLR guidelines while continuing to serve our wonderful guests. We have offered courses virtually in order to respect the instructions of the local authorities. If you change the way you look at things, then things change the way they look. 98% of our customers are referred, even though we do a lot of advertising. We believe that we provide a service that is necessary for those who need a driver’s license. We are there for our guests. Our hosts are like our family. We continued to serve by being creative and innovative.
Q: What are some of the unique challenges driving schools are facing due to the pandemic?
A: We must always keep the safety of everyone in mind: our staff and our guests. Safety comes first. Yes, there were staff shortages as some decided to stay home due to the pandemic. We cannot blame individuals for wanting to take the necessary security measures, so we have hired and trained new staff. There are 33 families (who) depend on a paycheck from Cy Fair Driving School, LLC, and we as a company need to be there for our staff and our guests. PPP helped us during the difficult period.
Q: What were some of the adjustments Cy Fair Driving School had to make to operations in order to adapt to the challenges?
A: Any system is only as good as the people in it! I like to believe that we are blessed with the best staff in the world to provide exceptional service to our customers. We are not perfect; however, we are perfectionists. I cannot begin to show our gratitude to the selfless and outstanding staff we have at our driving schools. We had to learn to adapt and be patient. We make decisions based on situations. Our door is open to those who took off due to the pandemic, and we took back those who wanted to come back. Your personality leads to your destiny.
Q: When were Cy Fair Driving School locations able to resume some of the services that had to temporarily stop? Have most or all in-person services resumed?
A: When the city and county authorities allowed us to open in person, we did. We can provide all services in person as needed.
Q: How well would you say things are going now compared to when the pandemic started? Has the company started to recover from any of the challenges it faced?
A: Things are good and better now than when the pandemic started. I believe that we have control over our efforts although we may not have control over the outcome of our efforts. The right attitude is the root of excellence. We are grateful to do well. We should celebrate our efforts.
Q: If Cy-Fair Driving School has restarted in-person services, what safety measures have been put in place, including things like drive-thru training?
A: We are doing our best to follow all CDC, DPS, and TDLR guidelines regarding social distancing, masking, sanitizing, etc. Best practices are still in place!
A: We would like to wholeheartedly thank our guests for all their support and kindness that has helped us succeed during the pandemic. May God pour out his blessings on all the enterprises of the world and make them a success!
Editor’s Note: Q&A responses are edited in length and AP style.
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