It’s no secret that unhappy customers are often the loudest when posting reviews of their products or experiences. So perhaps it’s easy to roll your eyes when a report analyzing millions of Google reviews says dealership F&I departments need to improve.
But what if that same report determines customers are generally happy with sales departments? And, what about the many times a customer highlights a positive experience with sales and their disappointment with F&I in the same review?
The report, conducted by Widewail from the first quarter of 2023 to third quarter of 2024 on more than 18,000 franchised dealerships, shared reviews praising one department and disparaging another were common. For example:
“I absolutely love my vehicle. Joe was fantastic in the sales process. When I got into finance, they weren’t sure which incentive would apply for this vehicle, they tried to sell me too many F&I products. I don’t want GAP. I wish there hadn’t been such a high-pressure finish to the sale.”
Long story short, it might not be a bad idea to keep your eyes focused straight ahead and consider customer perception. Are you pushing products too hard? Are your F&I documents transparent enough that the customer feels confident in what they are signing? Confident customers are happy customers – and happy customers tend to leave positive reviews.
And why should you care about positive reviews?
Improving transparency and efficiency within your F&I department can go a long way in helping customers have a more positive experience in your dealership. One you hope they share online, that potential customers enjoy reading, and use as the deciding factor to choose your dealership to purchase their next vehicle.