Auto retail F&I work from home can be tough, but success possible
Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News Europe
  • Automotive News China
  • Automobilwoche
AN-LOGO-BLUE
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Account
  • login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • Dealers
    • Automakers & Suppliers
    • News by Brand
    • Cars & Concepts
    • Coronavirus Coverage
    • China
    • Shift
    • Mobility Report
    • Special Reports
    • Digital Edition Archive
    • This Week's Issue
    • CarMax
      CarMax plans bonuses for 22,000 employees to reward pandemic efforts
      COVID-19 vaccines reaching auto plants, but challenges remain
      Working online to book COVID shots, office manager Billie Jean Pellet “typed so fast smoke came off the keyboard,” said dealer Earl Stewart.
      Dealership team hunts for vaccine
      Hope stalls for rebound in European auto sales
    • Sanden's plant in the north China port city of Tianjin
      Hisense to acquire Japanese auto air-conditioner maker Sanden
      A Cadillac XT5 fitted with the 48-volt system 
      Cadillac launches XT5, XT6 fitted with 48-volt system
      Chinese tech companies are turning their sights on EVs
      Telecom firm ZTE preparing electric vehicle product line
      Changan
      Huawei, battered by U.S. sanctions, plans foray into EVs, report says
    • Udelv CEO offers a historical perspective on high-tech goods delivery
      Q&A with BrightDrop CEO Travis Katz
      Automakers optimize manufacturing, customize products through digitization
      3D-printing a Porsche: Making concepts matter
    • Barra EV
      Automaking is only part of GM CEO's vision
      driverless-vehicle interior
      Consumers fear self-driving future, but like the tech that blazes the path
      The Cruise AV autonomous vehicle, based on the Chevy Bolt
      GM-backed Cruise is in talks to buy startup Voyage, report says
      Fisker's next wave: A premium people's car
    • Elon Musk interview
      Tesla’s Model Y, on sale since March, is a showcase of EV technologies competitors will benchmark.
      Technologies of Electrification
      Cadillac’s Lyriq EV will be unveiled Aug. 6.
      Future Product Pipeline
      A CALL TO ACTION
    • Automotive News Daily Drive highlights, Feb. 26-March 5
      Increased variety of EVs boosts industry's recovery
      Barra EV
      Automaking is only part of GM CEO's vision
      3-row Grand Cherokee priced to fight any rival
    • Access F&I
    • Fixed Ops Journal
    • Marketing
    • Used Cars
    • Retail Technology
    • Sales
    • Best Practices
    • Dealership Buy/Sell
    • NADA
    • NADA Show
    • Automakers
    • Manufacturing
    • Suppliers
    • Regulations & Safety
    • Executives
    • Talk From The Top
    • Leading Women Network
    • Guide to Economic Development
    • PACE Awards
    • Management Briefing Seminars
    • World Congress
    • Aston Martin
    • BMW
      • Mini
      • Rolls-Royce
    • Daimler
      • Mercedes Benz
      • Smart
    • Ford
      • Lincoln
    • General Motors
      • Buick
      • Cadillac
      • Chevrolet
      • GMC
    • Honda
      • Acura
    • Hyundai
      • Genesis
      • Kia
    • Mazda
    • McLaren
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
      • Infiniti
    • Stellantis
      • Alfa Romeo
      • Citroen
      • Chrysler
      • Dodge
      • Ferrari
      • Fiat
      • Jeep
      • Lancia
      • Maserati
      • Opel
      • Peugeot
      • Ram
      • Vauxhall
    • Renault
    • Subaru
    • Suzuki
    • Tata
      • Jaguar
      • Land Rover
    • Tesla
    • Toyota
      • Lexus
    • Volkswagen
      • Audi
      • Bentley
      • Bugatti
      • Lamborghini
      • Porsche
      • Seat
      • Skoda
    • Volvo
    • (Discontinued Brands)
    • Virtual reveals (Sponsored)
      • MITSUBISHI: 2022 Outlander
      • NISSAN: 2022 Pathfinder and 2022 Frontier
      • GENESIS: 2021 GV80
      • KIA: 2021 K5
      • LEXUS: 2021 IS
      • NISSAN: 2021 Rogue
      • TOYOTA: 2021 Venza and 2021 Sienna
    • Auto Shows
    • Future Product Pipeline
    • Photo Galleries
    • Car Cutaways
    • Design
  • OPINION
    • Blogs
    • Cartoons
    • Keith Crain
    • Automotive Views with Jason Stein
    • Columnists
    • China Commentary
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send us a Letter
    • The new Stellantis pickup: Schrödinger's Dakota
      Fisker gets a rare second chance to build his own car company
      Gerry McGovern is right man to steer Jaguar reinvention
      Forget the Ford GT; Moray Callum's biggest hit is the aluminum F-150
    • Jaguar is about to undergo its fourth reinvention in five decades as owner Tata Group takes a second crack at shaking up a brand whose glorious past has rarely translated into a profitable present or sustainable future.
      Jaguar Redo, Part IV
      view gallery
      1 photos
      Chip Shortage
      Record Dealer Profits
      view gallery
      10 photos
      Leo Michael Cartoons - Q1 2021
      Dealers hiring from hospitality sector
      view gallery
      1 photos
      Hospitality Hires
    • Shifting gears away from the stick shift
      SEMA still a wonderful circus
      Penske still has plenty of races to win
      Ford's turn in the hot seat
    • March 2, 2021 | Will EV bets pay off?
      February 23, 2021 | Reliability continues to soar
      February 16, 2021 | Apple looks to take bite out of automotive
      February 9, 2021 | ‘Super’ opportunity for automakers
    • Reinvention of Jaguar is a tall task for McGovern
      Jamie Butters
      EV plans and some damn lies
      Mark Paul
      What dealers can do if D.C. power shift affects recalls
      Are we in the midst of a fourth industrial revolution?
    • Geely HQ
      Why Geely wants to be a contract manufacturer
      Shanghai hints at how Chinese cities will pursue electrification
      How Tesla, GM transformed EV market in 2020
      Is sales recovery nearing an end?
    • U.S. Dealership lot
      Lean lots won't last without new dealer discipline
      Taiwan Semicon microchips BB web.jpg
      Chip shortage shows need for new thinking
      Digital demands squeeze smaller auto retailers
      President Joe Biden’s move to electrify all government vehicles could push forward charging infrastructure development.
      Dealers aren't wrong to be wary of EV hype
    • New look at Nissan a positive sign
      Embrace EV ideas at our doorstep
      Dealers are right to worry about EVs
      Buying EV without dealer is just easier
  • DATA CENTER
  • VIDEO
    • AutoNews Now
    • First Shift
    • Special Video Reports
    • Weekend Drive
    • AutoNews Now: Peugeot's U.S. comeback uncertain amid Alfa Romeo appointment
      AutoNews Now: Next parts shortage could be foam for seats
      AutoNews Now: Chip woes persist: GM extending output cuts
      AutoNews Now: Toyota, Mazda, Subaru, Hyundai, Kia slide in Feb.; Volvo, Genesis rise
    • First Shift: Ford criticized by ITC for SK Innovation battery deal
      First Shift: GM, LG Chem mull second U.S. battery plant
      First Shift: Stellantis aims for higher profit margins in 2021
      First Shift: Volvo's electric push includes online-only sales
    • Bert Ogden Auto Group
      How a Texas group is cutting costs, saving millions
      COVID, chips and checks: Sales headwinds and tailwinds for 2021
      N.J. dealer helps position peers for ‘electric revolution’
      DCH Millburn Audi
      'Finding the diamond in the rough': How 2020's No. 1 dealership retains talent
    • Why the pickup is the auto industry's 'battleground'
      Carlos Ghosn's quest to restore his reputation
      Why Ford must execute to avoid 'deep trouble'
      Why Honda is 'locked and loaded' for 2020
  • EVENTS & AWARDS
    • Events
    • Awards
    • Congress Conversations
    • Retail Forum: NADA
    • Canada Congress
    • Europe Congress Conversations
    • Leading Women Conference
    • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
    • ANE Shift
    • Shift: Mobility at a Crossroads
    • Shift: The Future of Mobility (CES)
    • 100 Leading Women
    • 40 Under 40 Retail
    • All-Stars
    • Best Dealerships To Work For
    • PACE Program
    • Rising Stars
    • Europe Rising Stars
  • JOBS
  • AN Solutions
  • +MORE
    • Leading Women Network
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars
    • In the Driver's Seat
    • Publishing Partners
    • Classifieds
    • Companies on the Move
    • People on the Move
    • Newsletters
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • RSS Feeds
    • Shift: A Podcast About Mobility
    • Special Reports Podcasts
    • Daily Drive Podcasts
    • AAM
    • DealerPolicy
    • Gentex
    • Reputation.com
    • Ricardo
    • Ricardo
    • Allstate: Want more from your F&I?
    • Ally: Navigating the future of automotive retailing
    • Amazon Web Services: Any place, any time, any channel
    • Amazon Web Services: The power of the cloud
    • Amazon Web Services: Universal translator: Harnessing sensor data to build better automotive software
    • Epic Games: Transforming the auto industry with digital assets
    • FTI Consulting: Crisis as a catalyst for change
    • Google: 5 trends shaping the auto industry's approach to a new normal
    • IHS Markit: Automotive loyalty in the wake of the COVID-19 recession
    • IHS Markit: Autonomous vehicles: Automotive and transportation disruption
    • IHS Markit: COVID-19: The future mobility delusion
    • Level5: 2020 Automotive E-Commerce Report
    • Naked Lime: Bring social reputation together as part of big-picture marketing
    • Wells Fargo Auto: Switching gears from LIBOR to SOFR
    • Ally: Do It Right
    • DealerSocket
    • Deloitte: Cyber everywhere: Preparing for automotive safety in the face of cyber threats
    • Facebook: The road to a zero-friction future
    • Guide To Economic Development
    • PayPal Credit: How consumer financing helps drive sales for online auto parts retailers
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Finance & Insurance
January 18, 2021 12:00 AM

At-home F&I can be tough, but success stories exist

Jackie Charniga
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    F&I Manager Amanda Lesikar, on the monitor, assists a customer at Bird-Kultgen Ford in Waco, Texas, over Microsoft Teams.

    F&I Manager Amanda Lesikar, on the monitor, assists a customer at Bird-Kultgen Ford in Waco, Texas, over Microsoft Teams.

    After work on Dec. 17, a used-car salesperson at Bird-Kultgen Ford in Waco, Texas, tested positive for the coronavirus. The next day, the dealership closed the used-car building, which housed one manager and three other salespeople.

    Then about a week later, a salesman came into F&I Manager Amanda Lesikar's office with a question. Three days later, the salesman tested positive for the virus.

    "When my owner came into my office and told me she was sending me home, I said, 'I really don't want to do that,' " Lesikar told Automotive News. "She said, 'We don't have a choice.' "

    Amid the mounting COVID-19 death count, the automotive retail industry has been forced to send some employees home to work. But finance and insurance is particularly difficult to translate to a home environment, retail experts say, because many facets of the work — from customer identity verification to legal disclosures — are best conducted face-to-face. And remote sales processes keep employees and customers safe but could open the dealership to compliance risks or negatively impact F&I profitability in the long term.

    Sellers Buick-GMC in Farmington Hills, Mich., approved a work-from-home arrangement for one of its four F&I managers in June. But in many ways, it's as if Judy Williams is still at the store: She's speaking to customers, answering questions from sales staff and conducting F&I product presentations and signing ceremonies.

    "A year ago, I could foresee a day where salespeople work from home, but I never would have told you an F&I manager would work from home," said Andrew Haller, president of Sellers Auto Group. "We weren't just doing this because Judy requested to work from home. We did this because we wanted to prove to ourselves we could do it."

    New normal?

    Though the pandemic has necessitated unusual working conditions, not every retailer has supported remote F&I. When dealerships started to open up from state-mandated shutdowns, F&I staff were in the first wave of employees returning to the store, said Tony Dupaquier, director of The Academy, an F&I training center in Austin, Texas.

    Remote transaction tips

    Retail experts offer these best practices for an effective remote F&I experience.

    Set an appointment: Inform customers when the F&I presentation will take place and for how long, advises Tony Dupaquier of The Academy. "If we just picked up the phone and called, it was all over the place. Setting up a designated firm appointment to complete out the transaction has helped tremendously."

    Prioritize compliance: Before allowing employees to handle remote transactions, train them properly, says Shannon Robertson, executive vice president of the Association of Finance & Insurance Professionals. "Dealers are saying, I need to train my people that are handling these online transactions, but they don't need to know everything a finance manager does. All they're doing is disclosing contracts," he said. "That's not something we've heard of in the past."

    Train the sales team: Get sales on board with passing off a customer to an F&I manager virtually, advises Mike Roehrig, sales and finance manager at Sellers Auto Group. "They can take the iPad right over to the customer and say, 'This is Judy,' and introduce her that way," he said.
    Be available: In an accessible area, set up a screen showing the virtual employee. That allows sales employees to see when that person is available to answer questions, says Claire Slaughter, marketing director for Sellers.

    Verify identity: Failing to confirm a customer's identity in remote transactions opens the dealership to liability, says Terry O'Loughlin, director of compliance for Reynolds and Reynolds. Dealerships likely won't get a free pass because of coronavirus constraints.

    Set the pace: Develop a cadence with customers when presenting F&I products, Dupaquier says. Learning when to display the product menu and when to look customers in the eye will smooth the selling process. "When I'm talking to the customer, we no longer share the screen," Dupaquier said.
    Cameras on, if possible: "When we could see the customer, we could see their facial expressions, it helped with objection-handling," Dupaquier advised.

    "A lot of car dealerships — big groups, small groups — have the attitude, if you're on my payroll, I want you here," he said.

    Ensuring remote sales are as profitable and compliant as in-store ones should be paramount for car dealerships before sending an employee home, said Shannon Robertson, executive vice president of the Association of Finance & Insurance Professionals.

    "Are they taking the appropriate steps to make sure the people are properly trained? Do [dealers] understand the compliance risk prior to implementing these processes or procedures?" Robertson said. "Or are we just implementing things to see what works?"

    Paris Ramirez, director of finance and insurance for Asbury Automotive Group Inc., said the public group prefers F&I employees to work from the store, even for virtual deals. Being in the office allows more collaboration among team members and ensures essential documents stay in one place.

    "We don't want sensitive information to be in the hands of somebody sitting in their apartment," she said.

    Remote workplaces

    Working from home proved impossible for Lesikar, of Bird-Kultgen Ford, because of a poor Internet connection. She lives about 45 minutes away from the dealership in Troy, Texas, a rural area where her family raises cattle. To fix that, the store's owner suggested she work in the vacant used-car facility.

    Lesikar now streams into her office at the dealership via Microsoft Teams. From her monitor, she explains the customer's forms as they print in the room. She walks customers through each document, identifying signature lines with the assistance of the document camera. Using a platform called Team Viewer, she can control the computer the customer is using in her office. She also can access the store's merchant processor to collect down payments.

    For customers who choose paper documents, there are envelopes for dealership employees to securely store paperwork after they leave.

    After 18 years as an F&I manager, Lesikar said adjusting to the remote experience was like starting from scratch. Yet many procedures are exactly the same as when she sat at the desk herself, she said, "because I'm virtually still there."

    In the bubble

    Dupaquier's clients that adopted virtual F&I programs early in the pandemic reported strong product penetration across the board, though it was hard to pinpoint the exact cause. Most of these sales involved F&I managers working inside the dealership, while the customer was at home.

    "It really questioned, were the numbers really good because customers were excited to buy a car, or did they appreciate the convenience of doing it remotely?" he said.

    Though her two-week quarantine ended without her testing positive, Lesikar remains in the used-car facility. Between customers and sales associates, she interacts with too many people per day to justify returning to her office. Her managers also said that, were she to get the virus, the store would suffer. Bird-Kultgen Ford sells 120 new and used vehicles per month.

    Jeff Gabbert, vice president of sales for the single-point dealership, said without the successful pivot of sales managers working from home and Lesikar's setup in the used-car facility, the store may have been forced to close for several weeks.

    "That really, really would have handcuffed us," Gabbert said. "We don't want to keep Amanda in the used-car building by herself — that's not a long-term solution. But we are trying to protect her health and the livelihood of all our employees that depend on her."

    Related Article
    Here's our annual ranking of the largest U.S. dealership groups
    New possibilities

    The outbreaks at the store highlighted how vital Lesikar's role is to the operation, he added. In response to the scare, the store promoted a salesperson to a finance role. That person is currently being trained.

    Customers also were grateful for the switch, Lesikar said, as coronavirus cases surged in Central Texas. For now, the plan is to continue to work in isolation to protect her, her customers and the dealership's sales team. But lessons learned from working in a bubble could easily be applied to occasionally working from home, an idea Lesikar is now entertaining — if the Internet connection can be improved.

    "If it hadn't been for the virus pushing us beyond our comfort zone, we probably never would have considered it," Lesikar said. "But are you able to connect with the customer through a computer screen? Yes, you can. I just proved it to myself."

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    White House could shake up auto finance
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

     

     

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    White House could shake up auto finance
    White House could shake up auto finance
    Consumers in mortgage forbearance could drop out of auto market
    Consumers in mortgage forbearance could drop out of auto market
    CFPB nominee vows to enforce fair lending, scrutinize big data
    CFPB nominee vows to enforce fair lending, scrutinize big data
    Sponsored Content: The Dealer's Guide to Implementing a Digital Sales Experience
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    See more newsletter options at autonews.com/newsletters.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Digital Edition
    Automotive News 3-1-21
    THIS WEEK'S EDITION
    See our archive
    Fixed Ops Journal
    Fixed Ops Journal 2-8-21
    Read the issue
    See our archive
    FINANCE & INSURANCE REPORT: Sign up to get news, ideas and commentary delivered each Wednesday afternoon on how to maximize profits from your F&I products and services.
    FIRST SHIFT WITH JENNIFER VUONG: Sign up for our morning newscast and get the news you need to start your day in a quick 4-minute video.
    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    Subscribe Today

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    Subscribe Now
    Connect With Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    Our mission

    The Automotive News mission is to be the primary source of industry news, data and understanding for the industry's decision-makers interested in North America.

    AN-LOGO-BLUE
    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit, Michigan
    48207-2997

    (877) 812-1584

    Email us

    Automotive News
    ISSN 0005-1551 (print)
    ISSN 1557-7686 (online)

    Fixed Ops Journal
    ISSN 2576-1064 (print)
    ISSN 2576-1072 (online)

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • Subscribe
    • Manage your account
    • Reprints
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
    • NEWS
      • Dealers
        • Access F&I
        • Fixed Ops Journal
        • Marketing
        • Used Cars
        • Retail Technology
        • Sales
        • Best Practices
        • Dealership Buy/Sell
        • NADA
        • NADA Show
      • Automakers & Suppliers
        • Automakers
        • Manufacturing
        • Suppliers
        • Regulations & Safety
        • Executives
        • Talk From The Top
        • Leading Women Network
        • Guide to Economic Development
        • PACE Awards
        • Management Briefing Seminars
        • World Congress
      • News by Brand
        • Aston Martin
        • BMW
          • Mini
          • Rolls-Royce
        • Daimler
          • Mercedes Benz
          • Smart
        • Ford
          • Lincoln
        • General Motors
          • Buick
          • Cadillac
          • Chevrolet
          • GMC
        • Honda
          • Acura
        • Hyundai
          • Genesis
          • Kia
        • Mazda
        • McLaren
        • Mitsubishi
        • Nissan
          • Infiniti
        • Stellantis
          • Alfa Romeo
          • Citroen
          • Chrysler
          • Dodge
          • Ferrari
          • Fiat
          • Jeep
          • Lancia
          • Maserati
          • Opel
          • Peugeot
          • Ram
          • Vauxhall
        • Renault
        • Subaru
        • Suzuki
        • Tata
          • Jaguar
          • Land Rover
        • Tesla
        • Toyota
          • Lexus
        • Volkswagen
          • Audi
          • Bentley
          • Bugatti
          • Lamborghini
          • Porsche
          • Seat
          • Skoda
        • Volvo
        • (Discontinued Brands)
      • Cars & Concepts
        • Virtual reveals (Sponsored)
          • MITSUBISHI: 2022 Outlander
          • NISSAN: 2022 Pathfinder and 2022 Frontier
          • GENESIS: 2021 GV80
          • KIA: 2021 K5
          • LEXUS: 2021 IS
          • NISSAN: 2021 Rogue
          • TOYOTA: 2021 Venza and 2021 Sienna
        • Auto Shows
        • Future Product Pipeline
        • Photo Galleries
        • Car Cutaways
        • Design
      • Coronavirus Coverage
      • China
      • Shift
      • Mobility Report
      • Special Reports
      • Digital Edition Archive
      • This Week's Issue
    • OPINION
      • Blogs
      • Cartoons
      • Keith Crain
      • Automotive Views with Jason Stein
      • Columnists
      • China Commentary
      • Editorials
      • Letters to the Editor
      • Send us a Letter
    • DATA CENTER
    • VIDEO
      • AutoNews Now
      • First Shift
      • Special Video Reports
      • Weekend Drive
    • EVENTS & AWARDS
      • Events
        • Congress Conversations
        • Retail Forum: NADA
        • Canada Congress
        • Europe Congress Conversations
        • Leading Women Conference
        • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
        • ANE Shift
        • Shift: Mobility at a Crossroads
        • Shift: The Future of Mobility (CES)
      • Awards
        • 100 Leading Women
        • 40 Under 40 Retail
        • All-Stars
        • Best Dealerships To Work For
        • PACE Program
        • Rising Stars
        • Europe Rising Stars
    • JOBS
    • AN Solutions
    • +MORE
      • Leading Women Network
      • Podcasts
        • Shift: A Podcast About Mobility
        • Special Reports Podcasts
        • Daily Drive Podcasts
      • Webinars
      • In the Driver's Seat
        • AAM
        • DealerPolicy
        • Gentex
        • Reputation.com
        • Ricardo
        • Ricardo
      • Publishing Partners
        • Allstate: Want more from your F&I?
        • Ally: Navigating the future of automotive retailing
        • Amazon Web Services: Any place, any time, any channel
        • Amazon Web Services: The power of the cloud
        • Amazon Web Services: Universal translator: Harnessing sensor data to build better automotive software
        • Epic Games: Transforming the auto industry with digital assets
        • FTI Consulting: Crisis as a catalyst for change
        • Google: 5 trends shaping the auto industry's approach to a new normal
        • IHS Markit: Automotive loyalty in the wake of the COVID-19 recession
        • IHS Markit: Autonomous vehicles: Automotive and transportation disruption
        • IHS Markit: COVID-19: The future mobility delusion
        • Level5: 2020 Automotive E-Commerce Report
        • Naked Lime: Bring social reputation together as part of big-picture marketing
        • Wells Fargo Auto: Switching gears from LIBOR to SOFR
        • Ally: Do It Right
        • DealerSocket
        • Deloitte: Cyber everywhere: Preparing for automotive safety in the face of cyber threats
        • Facebook: The road to a zero-friction future
        • Guide To Economic Development
        • PayPal Credit: How consumer financing helps drive sales for online auto parts retailers
      • Classifieds
      • Companies on the Move
      • People on the Move
      • Newsletters
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • RSS Feeds