POLLING THE FRONTLINE: WHAT’S HAPPENING IN F&I

Are F&I workers ready for the difficult conversations that lie ahead?

The volatile financial market is having a severe impact on consumers, causing a notable increase in difficult and emotional conversations for F&I workers to navigate. Are they ready? We asked 500 F&I employees to find out.

40% of F&I workers say the increase in working with customers in financial distress has impacted their mental health

What’s this survey about?

F&I workers are seeing a huge increase in difficult conversations with customers in financial distress, but they’re not getting the right training and tools to address this. As a result, 40% of respondents say their mental health is impacted—and they’re feeling less productive as a result.

Get the full survey findings here, but here’s a glimpse at the insights we uncovered.

The recession is taking a toll on customers

F&I workers are already seeing the recession impact consumers in several ways, including overdrafting, delayed payments, refinancing and loan applications to help with everyday expenses.

Chart showing the increased customer behaviors noted by F&I workers and by percent reported

Workers don’t have what they need to navigate the difficult conversations that lie ahead

While F&I workers are seeing a notable increase in challenging and even hostile situations with customers, many don’t have the support, resources and tools they need to navigate these conversations. In fact, almost 20% of respondents witnessing these changes in customer behavior say their employer hasn’t done anything differently.

More than 1 in 4 F&I workers navigating difficult conversations don't feel equipped to handle the volatile customer behaviors

What’s the solution?

So what are F&I workers looking for to help them stay productive and engaged during these challenging times? Download the full poll to get the full story.