I was in Phoenix on business with a coworker who also wanted to take pool lessons. We didn't have the luxury of time. If there was no answer when I called an instructor, I went on to the next number on my list. I ended up talking with two or three instructors and chose one based on those conversations. He gave me a good idea of what the lessons would be like before I even met him.
Most instructors instruct at a pool room.
They have a regular room, but will also go to a room of your choice. There are certainly fewer distractions than at a public room. We would have four 2-hour lessons over five nights. The third night was skipped to give us a chance to practice some of what we learned, or to do whatever else we needed to do. We had beginner and intermediate, but in a compressed format because we were only in Phoenix for a short time.