As customer expectations evolve, dealerships face great pressure to make the finance process faster, more transparent and less intimidating. On today’s F&I Today episode, Paul Brown, VP of Ascent Dealer Services, explains why customers aren’t rejecting F&I itself, but instead rejecting friction, confusion and unexpected delays. He shares practical strategies dealers can implement to improve trust, streamline the buying journey and create a more profitable F&I experience.
According to Brown, one of the biggest complaints dealers hear is that finance takes too long. He reaffirmed that the real problem often begins earlier in the process, such as when salespeople tell customers “finance will be right with you” and then disappear without setting a timeline.
"Modern F&I is not about selling harder. It's about helping customers own smarter."
That gap creates what Brown calls an expectation violation. This is when the experience doesn’t match what a customer was told would happen, so they interpret the deviation as disrespectful of their time, and the anxiety builds quickly.
Brown said dealers can avoid this by coaching salespeople and finance managers to reset the clock with customers early, giving them a realistic timeframe for what comes next. He reasserts that customers do not mind waiting as long as they know what they are waiting for and roughly how long it will take.
Building transparency
Left without explanation, customers often fall into “idle time story making,” where they fill the silence by assuming the worst about what is happening behind the scenes. To counter this, Brown advocates for “visible momentum,” a principle where dealers show customers the steps and reasons behind the process. He notes that while customers can accept difficult news, they require an explanation that feels clear, respectful, and consistent.
One specific tactic to maintain this momentum is performing internal vehicle deliveries during the F&I wait time. By walking customers through their new car’s technology and features while the paperwork is finalized, salespeople keep the buyer engaged rather than leaving them idle in the showroom.
This approach respects the customer’s time while re-igniting excitement for the vehicle, making them considerably more receptive to protection product conversations once they finally sit down in the finance office.
