AUGUST 31, 2017

F&I is one of the most important departments and biggest profit centers in an auto dealership. The WardsAuto F&I Resource Center keeps F&I professionals up to date with the latest trends and best practices so they can perform their jobs more effectively and profitably. Visit the F&I Resource Center regularly to stay on top of your game.

Customer Relationship Management Simple, Sort Of

It’s oversimplifying it to claim customer-relationship-management systems are simple to use at car dealerships. It takes staff effort, skill and commitment for CRM to show its stuff, which includes systematically creating personalized customer experiences, executing targeted marketing, fielding leads and communicating with prospective buyers and established customers alike.

F&I Director Determined to Help Bring e-Contracting to Dealer Group

As F&I director for the Utah-based 52-dealership Ken Garff Automotive Group, Danny Cox knows the challenge of rolling out e-contracting in an industry that’s historically not an early adapter of the latest technology.

Ally Offers F&I on Internet Used-Car Marketplace

F&I provider Ally is branching out with vehicle-service contracts and gap coverage on TRED, an online peer-to-peer used-car marketplace. “This is one of the first relationships where Ally’s insurance products will be offered direct to consumers,” says Ally spokeswoman Sari Jensen.

Time to Take F&I Online

Last year, the auto industry sold approximately 17.5 million light vehicles in the U.S., representing seven straight years of growth. However, reflecting on more recent data, it’s clear auto sales have plateaued. Dealers across the U.S. have reported lower sales numbers over the last few months. Incentives among manufacturers have increased, but that does not seem to be moving the needle much. Despite the trends, let’s put this into perspective.

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