Every dealership manager knows how important the F&I Department is to producing revenue for the company. They are also the key that ties the sales department to the customers and the dealership to outside vendors and financing agencies. With so much riding on F&I Specialists, it is important that dealerships take the time to ensure the Finance and Insurance department is always running smoothly. One of the best ways to do this is by preparing for absences and implementing training through a fill-in F&I Specialist. 3 benefits of having a fill-in specialist are listed below.
- A Fill-In F&I Specialist Protects Against Emergencies
As much as a workplace can feel like a family, most employees have families at home they have to attend to first. This means sick days, no-shows, vacation days, and last-minute emergencies can derail the F&I department and, consequently, the whole sales process. Securing the services of a company you trust to provide a fill-in specialist can prevent the loss of time, money, and sales associated with employee shortfalls and promote customer satisfaction.
- A Fill-In F&I Specialist Helps with Employee Turnover
Employee turnover is a universal pain when owning and running a business. Unfortunately, the loss of an integral employee, like an F&I Specialist, can leave a dealership hurting for some time. Not only does an employee shortage create a revenue void, but it also slows down the department for months while management finds and trains a new employee. Hiring a fill-in specialist during these shortages prevents the loss of immediate and future revenue by securing the department while the job hunt is on, keeping the dealership running smoothly and the customers happy.
- A Fill-In F&I Specialist Can Serve as a Qualified Trainer
Every company experiences the strain of hiring new employees and paying for their training. For dealerships, the time and money spent in the process are critical for the future growth of revenues and customer retention. These costs can be difficult to offset when the new employee works in a specialized department, like Finance and Insurance. Fortunately, a fill-in specialist can streamline the process and get the employee to work quickly and efficiently. With a qualified professional on-call, dealerships can ensure their new F&I specialist gets the best training without having to sacrifice the time and talents of another employee who could be serving customers. The even better news is that a fill-in specialist is just that, a specialist, and comes with insights to best practices for improved efficiency from which existing F&I specialists can benefit.
With customer service driving client sales and the Finance and Insurance Department bringing in substantial revenue, no dealership can afford to be unprepared when an employee emergency occurs or during hiring lapses. Choose a trusted provider like Vanguard Dealer Services to cover all your bases and increase your dealership's efficiency so that your customers are never left in the lurch.
