Be warned. I experienced either unreliable or hostile behavior from certain RIMS personnel. Simply trying to make contact with a live person and obtain preliminary information about availability and scheduling of driving lessons proved perplexingly difficult. I can't speak to any of their actual services. Before and up to the afternoon of 5/17/23, RIMS' automated message said inquiries would receive a response within 24 hours. That was not my experience. RIMS set an expectation and reacted in a hostile manner when I voiced concern a week later. On 5/10/23 I submitted the online request. The morning of 5/12/23 I sent a polite follow-up email and left a polite voice message. On 5/15/23 I had trouble porting my cell phone number to a new carrier and politely informed RIMS the morning of 5/16/23 via email and included an alt number. Just before 4PM that day I received an unsigned email from RIMS stating someone named Tara would call me either that day or the day after (5/16 or 5/17). It did not specify that the call would come well after close of business, which would have been helpful to know since how else would a prospective customer who knows next to nothing about this business know to expect that? I sent a thank you email the next morning. Just before 5PM (because their published closing time is 5PM) on 5/17/23 I emailed and called again saying I was honestly concerned by this point that I had not received that call after a week of trying to make contact, notifying them about my phone issues and giving an alt number earlier in the week and being told I would receive a call that didn't come by the close of business the day they stated, and to please be transparent with me if they don't have openings in their schedule at this time. Instead of acknowledging that they had twice set expectations re responsiveness and didn't meet them nor communicate clearly, Suzanne Rimington lashed out disrespectfully in 3 separate emails, by which point I felt it was prudent from a safety standpoint to let her know I'm a licensed attorney and her behavior was unprofessional and disrespectful. Her first multi-email rant went as follows: 04:55:27 PM: "Tara works 3 jobs . She will call you when she can. We are extremely busy ." At 4:56 PM: "Of course you are more than welcome to seek other options ." And at 4:59 PM: "And by the way , she did call you on Monday when she had time but your number didn't work". Some at RIMS do not appear to understand or value basic professionalism, credibility, reliability, or respectfulness. If only someone from RIMS had instead told me earlier the call could come AFTER business hours or emailed a brief, courteous acknowledgement this afternoon about needing a given amount of additional time to call or to explain how far out they were booked or whatever - since they apparently have the time to send multiple inappropriate emails - but some at RIMS apparently do not value people who would pay for their services. Interestingly, about 1.5 hours after close of business, Tara called me and communicated in a professional manner and took a couple minutes to provide helpful details and context. I even disclosed to her that I had the impression from Suzanne's angry emails that they were booked into the near future. However, Tara politely encouraged me to book one lesson (and even joked that RIMS could benefit from a weekly meeting to increase information sharing), which I tentatively booked. Tara told me I could pay for the lesson directly through their website. Before the evening was over, Suzanne had sent me two more inappropriate emails even though I had made no further contact with her, including one at 7:31 PM that could be construed as unlawful retaliation under the Consumer Review Fairness Act (15 U.S.C. § 45b): "Tara told me she spoke with you and arranged lessons with you. I then see you left a negative review. I will send you an invoice when I see the review is removed . I am not office staff, I am the owner and also an instructor. There is no office staff..." (it went on with more irrelevant, angry statements). Don't worry, despite info from Tara that suggested I don't need to be sent an invoice to pay and receive a lesson, I am canceling the lesson with Tara (who is not at fault in any of this). I will not engage directly with Suzanne based on her arguably egregious conduct and would like to point out that sending 5 hostile emails in 2.5 hours, one one of which appears retaliatory, may also raise questions about rising to the level of § 240.26 Harassment (electronic/digital) in the second degree: "...when, with intent to harass, annoy or alarm another person...engages in a course of conduct or repeatedly commits acts which alarm or seriously annoy such other person and which serve no legitimate purpose." read more
