Business ProfileforAmerican Safety Council, Inc.
Current Alerts For This Business
BBB has received a pattern of consumer complaints alleging the following: consumers allege that they are unable to reach customer service in a timely manner via chat, email or by phone. Many allege they are being locked out of the system by the biometrics security system. These same consumers can't reach anyone in customer service to rectify issues which have caused them to not finish the program within the designated time frame.
On February 21, 2023, BBB submitted a written request to the company encouraging them to address the pattern of complaints. The business responded with the following:
We take this feedback very seriously and you have our full cooperation to address and eliminate the patterns of complaints. In addition to various steps we have already taken to improve customer satisfaction, we are actively working to implement the following solutions to eliminate these patterns of complaint:
1. Improving customer instructions on how to use the biometric security systems, focusing on common problems and offering video-based tutorials. To start, we have enhanced our frequently asked questions (https://www.newyorksafetycouncil.com/defensive-driving-faqs/) and in-course documentation so that customers may self-service through online support.
2. Engineering a solution to automatically unlock a customer’s course after they fail the regulatory biometric security requirements. As their top priority, our technology team is developing a solution to automatically restart a customer’s course if they fail to secure successful biometric identity verification after the number of attempts established by the regulatory authority. This means customers will not be required to contact our customer care team if they are locked out of their course due to biometric security failure.
3. Finally, with respect to longer than expected response times, we are actively staffing up to reduce our hold times across phone, chat, and email in response to spikes in volume. We have hired six full-time customer care agents, with three having started employment in late February, and three more starting March 6.
We are committed to implement the steps above, many of which are being worked on by our technology team now, as well as any additional steps needed to eliminate these patterns of complaint so that we can improve customer satisfaction.
Additional business information
*Software engineering & technology services
*Internet-based courseware
*Course content development
*Safety-related products and education
*Testing & verification services
*Biometrics-based personal identification technology
*Online transactions and payment processing
*Regulatory programs and compliance
*Internet security
*Customer service support
Licensing entities include:
*New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
*Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
*Texas Education Agency
*Florida Department Of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles
*Missouri Safety Center
*California Department of Motor Vehicles
*Florida Department Of Financial Services
*Colorado Department of Revenue
*Georgia Department Of Driver Services
*Idaho Transportation Department
*Florida Department of Children and Families
*New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
*National Association of State Boating Law Administrators
*Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
At-a-glance
Customer Complaints
555 complaints closed in last 3 years
115 complaints closed in last 12 months
Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating
Related Categories
Products & Services
Business Details
This is a multi-location business.
- Headquarters
- 225 E Robinson St STE 570, Orlando, FL 32801-4339
- BBB File Opened:
- 8/9/2006
- Years in Business:
- 25
- Business Started:
- 11/5/1998
- Business Started Locally:
- 11/5/1998
- Business Incorporated:
- 11/5/1998
- Accredited Since:
- 2/27/2008
- Licensing Information:
- This business is in an industry that may require professional licensing, bonding or registration. BBB encourages you to check with the appropriate agency to be certain any requirements are currently being met.
- Type of Entity:
- Corporation
- Alternate Business Name
- Certus
- Florida Notary Service
- FloridaOnlineTrafficSchool.com
- Related Businesses
- Hours of Operation
Primary
- M:
- 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM
- T:
- 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM
- W:
- 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM
- Th:
- 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM
- F:
- 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM
- Sa:
- 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM
- Su:
- 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM
- Business Management
- John Comly, CEO
- Contact Information
Principal
- John Comly, CEO
Customer Contact
- John Comly, CEO
- Michael McMahon, Quality Analsyt
- Donna-Lee Knuerr, Director of Care
- Derrick Huckleberry, Vice President
- American Safety Council, Inc., Owner
- Additional Contact Information
Fax Numbers
- (407) 647-9076Primary Fax
- (321) 274-0119Other Fax
Phone Numbers
- (800) 393-1063Other Phone
- (800) 455-0607Other Phone
Email Addresses
- Primary
- (407) 647-9076
Customer Complaints
555 Customer Complaints
Need to file a complaint? BBB is here to help. We'll guide you through the process. How BBB Processes Complaints and Reviews
File a ComplaintMost Recent Customer Complaint
09/10/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Sales and Advertising Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
Customer Reviews
543 Customer Reviews
What do you think? Share your review.
Most Recent Customer Review
James D S
09/11/2024
American Safety Council, Inc. Response
09/15/2024
Good afternoon,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We sincerely apologize for any confusion and frustration you experienced during the course. We want to clarify that the course you registered for was the streaming version of the FL 4-Hour Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) course, which does include an additional fee compared to the regular BDI course. This course format includes quizzes throughout, rather than a single final exam, and these details are provided on our website's homepage for transparency before sign-up.
We are sorry to hear that the course content and format did not meet your expectations. We understand that the level of detail in the course can be challenging, and while our aim is to provide comprehensive driver safety education, we also strive to make the process manageable for all participants.
In light of your experience, we would like to offer you a promotional code for a free enrollment in our standard 4-Hour BDI course, which does not include streaming and only has a final exam at the end. We hope this alternative will better suit your needs.
Please feel free to reach out to our customer support team, available Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM EST, or chat support from 8 AM to 10 PM EST, so we can assist you further with this.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to make things right.
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