Saturday morning post: Work-Life balance? In a dealership? Not a chance…
F&I managers often have the distinction of being the first to show up and the last to leave. If there is a potential buyer with a pulse, there could be a deal to make and F&I are often the only ones that can issues tags and execute the paperwork, even for spot deals. So…you are there anywhere from 50-75 hours per week in a moderately busy store.
But F&I managers that are working too long will have trouble in executing paperwork properly. Mistakes will be made, signatures missing, chargebacks increasing. Deals will take longer than they should. Tempers will run high between F&I and sales. CSI can suffer. It can be a real mess.
Some industry experts speculate that after about 70 deals in a month, mistakes will increase.
Some dealers in recent years have moved to a more creative way to handle the F&I scheduling. Hiring PT F&I staff, offering a capped 50-hour week, allow for a strong compensation plan to help high producers make the money they want without killing themselves, offer catered meals at the end of the month. Let them know their wellbeing is important.
What is it like at your dealership?
