With the proliferation of tablets and other technology that make consumers' lives easier, digitizing the F&I process can have lasting, positive impacts on customer satisfaction for dealerships, according to a new study from MakeMyDeal and F&I Express.

Titled, "The Digital F&I Experience Study," the study showed that consumers who had one or more digital elements in the F&I experience were more likely to purchase F&I products, be more satisfied with the experience and more likely to recommend the dealership.

Study orchestrators pointed out that much of the vehicle-shopping process has been digitized, either through online tools or desktop tools at the dealership. However, they acknowledged a significant portion of the process for automotive aftermarket insurance products still involves cumbersome printed documents and manually signed five-ply forms.

“As an industry, we know that the F&I experience is more difficult than it should be, but what we haven't had until now are the numbers to show how that experience could be affecting the long-term profit potential for the dealership," said Mike Burgiss, founder and vice president of MakeMyDeal.

“By digitizing the experience, dealers will not only have happier customers, but they'll also reap the benefits of more word-of-mouth recommendations and repeat business,” Burgiss continued.

The study grouped participants into two categories: those who had at least one electronic element in their F&I experience and those who had a traditional F&I experience.

Overall, the study indicated only a third — 37 percent — of people are completely satisfied with the amount of time they spend in the F&I office.

However, people who had an electronic experience reported higher satisfaction with their time spent in the F&I office than those who did not: 49 percent of people who had at least one digitized element in the process were completely satisfied, versus 34 percent of people who had no electronic elements.

Further, orchestrators mentioned stores that had an electronic element in the F&I experience reported greater purchase satisfaction and a stronger likelihood to recommend the dealer:

— Seventy-four percent of those with an electronic F&I experience were completely satisfied with their purchase experience versus 56 percent of those with a traditional F&I experience.

— Sixty percent of those with an electronic F&I experience said they were very likely to recommend the dealer versus 39 percent of those with a traditional F&I experience.

Brian Reed, chief executive officer of F&I Express, is helping lead the charge to digitize the F&I sales process.

“F&I is one of the few remaining areas of the dealership that hasn't been digitized, and this study clearly shows that there is a real need — and opportunity — for more of the process to be brought online,” Reed said

“Consumers have an expectation to have digital options for just about anything they are shopping for,” he continued. “Auto dealers have a chance to strengthen relationships with existing customers, and ultimately improve their profitability by shifting to a digital F&I strategy.”