I went when I was 17, which was 18 years ago, and they were the worst. They shouted at me every class, they told my dad I would get in a car wreck within one week and didn't want to give me a license even though I passed every class, they told me I would have to get a drug test to get a license so I had to disclose any prescriptions I was taking to them to give to the state and it made renewing my license difficult for YEARS until I finally just stopped taking the medicine just so I could get my license easier(turns out I didn't even have to disclose my medicine nor do they do drug tests to get a license). I am here posting this at 35 with only 1 car wreck, caused by a snow plow backing up into me at a stop sign then driving off 3 months after getting my license, city was at fault naturally, so no parent ever has to waste their money on this travesty of a school nor any child has to go through the traumatizing experience their school was. Their 3 driving "lessons" are not why I only have one wreck on record, my dad taking me out driving for hours is why I only have one wreck on record. If there was a zero star option, I would give it. What a joke and what a gimmick. read more

I took lesson from Mrs.Harder.She was great and fun. I was lucky to learn driving in Mustang as my first car.

I have had a great experience so far. My 14 year old daughter did her all day class yesterday. They provide snacks and water then you bring $10 and they order lunch from Villa Capri or you bring your own. I just called and got her in right away. Class is 8-4. She enjoyed it. They schedule your first drive time, a two hour drive with an instructor that comes to your home and picks your child up. You have to get all three drive times in before their permit expires typically they do it over the course of an entire year so if you are like us and did not know that and the permit expires in six weeks they do their best to get you through fast. How far you advance and how fast you advance depends on how experienced and how good of a driver you are. So you need to do a lot of drive times with your child. and every kind of parking know how is a must. They are very friendly but it is very old-school they use a book to schedule the appointments so it does take some time. I found them to be very personable and very helpful they truly care about your child and teaching them to drive safely. We paid $450 that includes the all day class and three private 2 Hour drive times. Again they come to your house to pick up your child. That also includes their defensive driving test that gets you a very good discount with your insurance company after they have had their license for a year. Once we have had our first drive time I will update my review! read more

Horrible! Run don't walk from this driving school. They no showed for two lessons with my daughters and blamed me claiming I gave them "bogus" names for my children and a bogus phone number for myself. Keep in mind this would have been our second lesson, they had my children's names to submit to the state for their learner's permit, they had been to my home before. Maybe accepting responsibility that possibly they overbooked or made a mistake could have changed the tone of this review. The first lesson went horribly, I chalked that up to the teacher maybe not being a good fit for my child's personality. I then scheduled the 2nd and couldn't get in for over a month and they don't show up. Now it is the end of summer and school is starting and they can't get them in for another month. I'm called the state to see what my options are to transfer our paperwork to another school. 2 kids almost $1000 paid for rude treatment and an entire summer without a lesson. This first lesson was in March. read more

2nd child is finishing up with them now. 3rd child will be using them as well as soon as he is ready. Have been helpful, friendly, accessible and have provided good training. Delivering what they promise (which they do) is all I can ask for. Very satisfied. read more

This business is closed with no notice to students. We've been ripped off hundreds of dollars. My son Took a class on September 1 and they didn't schedule him for the driving portion until after the first of the year. We received a letter from a bankruptcy attorney claiming they had to shut down because of cheaper competition. Where is our refund? Ha! read more

NEGATIVE STAR! When I told Mrs. Harder we decided to attend another driving school she stated that I was a typical JOCO mom, I want things to be easy for my kids! Harder helps the students with the written test, (all driving schools do this.) Then, they want you to have your child drive 50 hours behind the wheel. Then, they will drive with them for 6 hours. The driving school we chose (that was cheaper) actually gives their students driving lessons BEFORE they expect their parents to drive the 50 hours with them. I should have read HARDER DRIVING PERFORMANCE reviews. read more

Every time I spoke with the owner, he was rude and unprofessional. It appears that they have been the only game in town for so long, they do not feel that they need to have a customer focus. Luckily, new options are now available. They rarely answer the phone. When you do reach them, it takes months to get on the schedule for drivers. They justify this by saying they have a lot of students. Perhaps they should go to business school to figure out that means they need more drivers. I ended up teaching my son how to drive myself by the time I was able to schedule the three required driving appointments. They give you a year to schedule these ,and the last appointment was close to the deadline. I basically just paid for this school as a formality to say that my son had attended driving school. Don't know if their instructors are really that good (once you can schedule a ride with them). I believe kids just already figure out how to drive on their own by the time they have their "lessons". read more

Pretty expensive for an 8 hour class, not very friendly and my kid never got scheduled for the actual driving lessons, I had to contact them to get it scheduled. They don't seem to know the actual laws of a child getting a permit, so they kept spewing inaccurate information when it can easy be looked up on the state website. I used them for my oldest two kids, and it seemed a lot better a few years ago, really wouldn't recommend them at this point. read more

Great class. A little more expensive than other driving schools but very accommodating for class schedule. Be aware the driving schedule fills quickly. Worked with our busy schedule. They even went out of their way up help our young driver complete the driving sessions in a reasonable period. This is our second young driver. Quite pleased. read more

Not happy with the service! They are unwilling to schedule the driving time that is required because we live in the western part of the city, "since you live so far out we can't get someone over to drive with you." So, if you live in Shawnee expect to take 3 months or more to complete the course, because Harder is unwilling to work with you. read more

Stay away from this place. They are not very responsive and are difficult to work with. Try to give them a call outside a Saturday, they never answer the phone. You will get an answering machine and maybe a call back. Sure, they have openings on a Saturday for the classes, but it takes 2 months to schedule a ride along. It will have taken my son almost 5 months to complete his training. I suggest you try Behind the Wheel, we used them with our oldest son and they were much easier to work with. read more

I really don't understand the negative reviews. I have used Harder for both my kids and have had positive experiences. I have been treated with courtesy and never had to wait an unreasonable amount of time for a callback. The driving sessions were scheduled appropriately - and they have called us when they have cancellations so my daughter could get in faster. The driving instructors are nice and have covered things that are really necessary but didn't occur to me, like how to get around town, stuff like that. I mean, it takes some time to get a driver's license in Kansas. Plan ahead. If you have a teen, don't expect to go in and have a driver's license a week later. It doesn't work like that, regardless of what Harder does. read more

Not a good experience. They didn't meet our son at the HS to drive as scheduled and then were rude about it when I brought it up to them. They didn't call or email to notify us they wouldn't be there either. Separately, it was literally over a month between drives. read more

We had an appt scheduled last September the the driver for our appt today didn't show up! What's going on?

I was very disappointed in Harder Performance Driving School. They tried to tell us how quickly the program would be, they could even get our child in the class the next Saturday. However, they did not mention how long it would take to get the driving portion completed. For my child, it was 2 1/2 months. My child said the class was a joke, they ran through the material and guided them through the tests. The driving was not any better. One of the drivers made my child stop so they could take a smoke break. I'm not sure how they were certified by the state, but based on our experience, they simply want to take your money and give you a slip of paper that allows your child to get their license. If you are fine with paying for a piece of paper, fine, use them. However, if you would like to use a driving school that actually cares about their students and teaches them how to drive, look elsewhere. read more

Friendly drivers and great experience overall. They taught me a lot about driving and how to be cautious on the road. Loved the snacks and drinks they provided. read more

DO NOT lose your certificate. If you do, when you call them to ask how you go about getting a copy of it, prepare to be verbally assaulted by the most unfriendly person you can imagine. read more

Nasty and unprofessional! Should not be allowed around teenagers! Basically you pay for classroom day and for certificates - you still have to teach your teenager to drive yourself. Unprofessional and rude. They will swear they are Better Business Bureau members - look it up - they have an F rating! read more

We went with this driving school for my son. They have been exceedingly difficult to work with. Not answering phone calls. The final thing that ultimately made me not ever recommend this company was when they left my son at his school waiting for a driving lesson without any call for cancellation. This was completely unacceptable. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY read more

Unprofessional, rude, disorganized and beyond difficult to get son's course completed. Yesterday they held my son's certificate of completion hostage until I paid them another $100.00. How they stay in business is baffling. Run, don't walk, away from Harder and find another place for your child's driving instruction. read more

2nd kid to go through Harder Performance. Both kids had Si as their driver and really enjoyed him. He went out of his way to make sure I could get my sons driving time in before school started. Would highly recommend them. read more

I called this driving school because they are one of the few on a list of programs that receive a discount from my insurance agency. I looked at the website and thought it looked promising--enough so that I would be willing to drive my daughter 2 hours to attend. I called and left a message. It's been 2 weeks and I have yet to receive a call back. Now, looking at the yelp reviews--it all makes sense. They must not NEED my business! But, I am VERY tired of companies that obviously make plenty of money, but do not have the ability to RETURN CALLS. It's pretty pathetic. read more

If I could give zero stars for this driving school I would. The staff in disrespectful, untimely and ultimately a pain to work with. Their rescheduling policy is absolutely terrible. Whatever you do, do NOT use them for driving school. read more

If I could give "0" stars I would! Please don't waste your money with this, so called, school. There are other driving schools that are more professional and actually provide the service they promise! I have a long, drawn-out story in dealing with these business owners that I will not re-hash in this review -- they are not worth the time and effort! Just stay away from Harder Performance! read more

When I called to get information about the school the gentleman was very nice. After I paid my $425.00, each time I call I have had to talk to a lady who is extremely rude. Then they tell me it takes over 3 months to complete the driving course. No where on the website does it say it takes 3 months to complete the driving portion of the class, nor when I called to schedule her first class was this explained to me. The first driving session was scheduled over one month after the class, when I called to schedule the second it is now 5 weeks out. So I assume the third sessions will take another 4-5 weeks. So the reality is that it takes 4 months to complete their driving school, they will not reveal this to you until you have paid your money and completed the 8 hour course--then your locked in. I am very disappointed in Harder Performance Driving School, I do not recommend it. read more

Not impressed with Harder at all. They do not present as a professional business. They are selling jewelry in the front of a driving school. The driving instructor was not as helpful and knowledgeable as I had expected. When I went to retrieve my certificates of completion they failed to give me the DE-99 (required to obtain a license).I went to license bureau in Mission and they indicated that Harder had lost their accreditation! They concurred that Harder had been seending many people to them without the required DE-99. Thankfully the employees at the license bureau end spoke to Harder and were able to resolve this and issue my license. read more

ok until you get to the driving sessions. then it's crazy and you can't get a drive for at least a month. Also if a student at harder is a student at a school where a driver at harder teaches, they will put that student ahead of your child. read more

I couldn't wait for my daughter to get her license. It wasn't because I was anxious for her to drive, but I was anxious to be finished with Harder Performance Driving School. We picked it because she failed the written test once & I wanted her to have some help getting her permit. After investing the $450, I expected some decent customer service & safety for my child. The first lesson the teacher showed up in a dirty car with peanuts in the console. My daughter has a nut allergy so her safety & comfort was compromised. Every time I called the office with a question or to schedule a drive I was talked to in a condescending manner, when I could get a word in edgewise. It didn't matter who I spoke to, they all spoke to me in the same manner. I couldn't wait to be finished with this school. If it didn't cost so much $, I would have taken my business elsewhere. My daughter did finally get her license. But my second daughter will NOT be a student at this driving school, nor will I recommend them to any of my friends. read more

Once they have your money, they are not helpful at all. After taking the class, my son had to wait 7 weeks until his first drive time. I called immediately after the class to go ahead and schedule the next two drives so that he would not have to wait as long for the rest of the driving sessions and was rudely told that they would only schedule one drive at a time. The second drive was 8 weeks after the first drive and the third drive was another 8 week wait. My husband and I both talked to people on the phone that were rude and not at all concerned with helping us. Very argumentative. I even volunteered that my son could miss a half day of school in order for him to drive sooner. No luck! It took my son 6 months to complete this course!! My husband called at one point to mention how long it was taking and was told "if you wanted your son to be finished by now, you should have started a year ago". read more

I had a wonderful experience with Harder with my son and am using them again for my daughter. They made the process as "painless" as possible and provided great instruction! I'm a fan! read more

In the month since Harder Performance cashed our check they have not shown up for a single scheduled appointment, repeatedly they cancel at the last minute. The staff is non-responsive and makes no effort to be professional. I am currently considering filling a fraud charge with the Johnsons County District Attorney. read more

My son just finished with Harder Performance Driving this spring and while I feel the instruction was strong, I was extremely disappointed with the amount of time it took to complete the program. My son took the all day class in mid August. The first available time he was able to drive with an instructor was in mid October. The second available time was in Late December and he finally finished the program at the end of February 2014. The company rarely answers their phones and the owner is extremely rude. My son was not able to schedule any additional drive time until he had finished the prior one. When I commented about the lack of availability (we were VERY flexible with them) I was told that I should take my son out of school for the day to do his driving because they had plenty of daytime slots available. Really? read more

When I signed my daughter up for class a lady told me she would have the classes completed by the time she could get her restricted license to drive to and from work. When I called to schedule her 2nd driving class, I was told by a man that they never make promises. When I started to tell him that a lady did, he interrupted me and said no they don't. I asked him to please not interrupt me. He then started yelling at me and said he would send me a prorated amount back. I told him I expect a full refund. He said no and hung up on me. I would highly recommend not using them. read more

The classroom teachers are good, but the two women at the front desk are impossible. They are bossy and rude and they brag about their credentials. The office staff and the teachers take a condescending tone with their customers. Their attitude is "we know everything and you know nothing". That's probably true but is there really a need to take that approach with your customers? They are very, very rigid about their policies and rules, which is fine, if they were at least polite about it. They are not welcoming when you arrive and make you feel like you're lucky if they can find you an appointment time. Their office is cluttered and unwelcoming. The Mustangs are cool but should that be the calling card of a driving school? Wouldn't you prefer an emphasis on safety and developing confidence in your new driver as the motto for your driving school of choice? We chose Harder on recommendation of friends but we won't be recommending Harder to our friends. read more

I believe this driving school does a good job with teaching children how to drive but scheduling times for your child to drive is very difficult, up to two months in between drives. Carol Harder, who started this company is also very rude and difficult to work with if you have an issue. When I brought up the long wait time to schedule the practice drives her response to me was "Johnson County people want what they want, when they want it!", acting like it was my issue that she does not have enough drivers for the amount of students she runs through her school. It went down hill from there and she hung up on me. I called back and after some more time she said that after my son had more practice time under his belt she would put him on the cancelation list. If she had started with this mature, customer accommodating approach she could have avoided making a very unhappy customer. Just something to keep in mind. I would never use them again. read more

I have been waiting for my childs last class with Harder performance before I wrote my review, and as I wait for them to show up (already 25 min late for the 3rd lesson) I couldn't wait any longer. The instructors are fine except this one is late today. The owner Mr Harder is a cocky egotistical jerk. He called me an inpatient JO. CO parent. I started my daughters first class a week before she turned 15, (they were booked a month out) then waited 3 weeks to get license back, then had to wait a month for her first lesson, then after her first lesson they were 2 months out for her 2nd lesson. I don't think that I was being impatient thinking they should get a lesson in and the whole process I paid almost $400 for in less than 6 months!!! He told me he had a gold mine in this business and been in business for 15 yrs. I told him to take his gold mine and buy more cars and hire more instructors and that he has a D rating with the better business bureau. He didn't care about the D rating because he has "mustangs to drive" and he is special. CY was a great teacher, I am still waiting on the last teacher to show, who is not CY but would not recommend working with the Harder company. Look at the other reviews and the better business bureau. read more

This company is owned by Carol and Joe Harder. Carol is a retired teacher and needs to stay retired. She is extremely rude to the children in the classroom, calling them stupid, yelling at them for no reason. When I met Carol she was really rude to me right away. I had never seen this lady before and was surprised at her response. They told me on the phone before I paid my $435.00 it would be just a couple of weeks after the class that she would have her driving classes done too. Not the case because when she took the class the next available driving class was 4 months out. I was shocked and asked if there was something sooner and I received a very snooty response from Carol. Basically I was stuck and could not complain because this was a family company and figured it would do no good. My daughter could not drive all summer because of this driving school. Not a good experience and it is suppose to be fun for her :( read more