Staying in touch across a dealership can be a real trial at times, but it doesn't have to be. The F&I and sales desk in particular have a habit of stepping on each other's toes, and making each other's jobs just that little bit harder, but they don't have to either. There are a few excellent dealership solutions to stop this from happening, and make sure that it doesn't happen again.

Communication

It may sound obvious, but it can be a serious problem in a lot of dealerships. Making sure that the sales desk and F&I department are communicating is integral to keeping everything going solidly. It's difficult for the F&I department to add products and bump payments if the sales desk is quoting the customer payments beforehand, and just a bit of communication could solve that before it ever reaches the critical stage. Furthermore, make sure that no email goes unanswered, and no memos are left ignored. 

Meetings

Not every day, but meetings that involve both the sales desk and the F&I department can help things a lot as well. Discussing the best methods between and amongst each other, and then acting on them is one of the best and easiest ways to make sure that they're acting in tandem, rather than against each other. They're both part of the same dealership and should keep that in mind. Irregular meetings can help keep both the sales desk and the F&I department in a good working relationship with each other.

Working Together

It may seem obvious, but both groups should always remember that they work for the same dealership. Helping their co-workers in the other group isn't going to be a problem for them, even if they might not see any immediate personal gains from it. Never forget that the dealership as a whole should come first.

If you're looking for personal assistance in dealing with any F&I consulting, or anything else that falls under our purview, please contact us.