EFG Companies claims the results of its most recent dealer services client satisfaction study released this week show the company scored higher than outfits such as Apple iPhone, Southwest Airlines, USAA Banking and Insurance, and Nordstrom.

Among the key findings, officials indicated dealers rated the account representative, compliance oversight and F&I training as the highest priority capabilities of F&I providers. On a scale of one to 10, where 10 is the highest for attributes in a given area, dealers ranked EFG as:

• 9.4 for account representative

• 9.3 for compliance

• 9.2 for F&I training

• 92 percent likelihood to recommend

“At EFG, we are obsessive about performance measurement and accountability,” said John Pappanastos, president and chief executive officer of EFG Companies.

“Soliciting direct, objective input through a national client satisfaction survey augments the ongoing measurement of our effectiveness against the commitments we make to our partners,” Pappanastos continued. “Our partners' feedback is an invaluable driver in the evolution of our business, and they seized the opportunity to also identify areas of their business where we have not traditionally engaged, but where they believe our engagement could meaningfully impact their business performance.”

Research study participants noted the high quality and depth of EFG’s account service team as one of the company’s greatest strengths, describing the service as an extension of the dealership’s management team.

EFG’s clients found the company’s knowledge regarding government regulations and industry trends highly beneficial to their business, as well as EFG’s proactivity in offering new ideas and recommendations:

• 97 percent of EFG’s clients stated that EFG representatives are F&I education and compliance leaders.

• 98 percent of clients regarded EFG overall as an expert of the F&I landscape.

• 95 percent believed that EFG has expert knowledge about government regulations and economic trends that affect their business.

• 95 percent of dealers stated that EFG understands the performance drivers of their F&I organization.

Troubadour Research and Consulting, who conducts national research with brands such as Kaiser Permanente, Toyota, and Samsung Mobile, administered EFG’s client satisfaction study, analyzing qualitative metrics from dealer principals and quantitative metrics from general managers and F&I directors.

“The results of the study weren’t just excellent, they were aspirational,” said Dale Gilliam, CEO of Troubadour Research and Consulting. “It’s our goal to be the EFG of the research industry.”

In the qualitative analysis, recurring comments from dealer principals said the following about EFG:

“The onsite training is invaluable. Our account rep is training the entire time he’s here, every time.”

“EFG is proactive and ahead of the curve on compliance compared to most F&I providers.”

“Ultimately, we have great F&I numbers and I attribute that largely to EFG.”

The Bob Moore Auto Group — the national leader in F&I revenue per retail unit among the top 125 U.S. dealer groups — also cheered EFG’s capabilities.

“EFG’s objective, professional counsel has enabled us to evolve and strengthen our business processes with innovative solutions and products,” said Curtis Hayes, chief financial officer of the Bob Moore Auto Group. “Their engagement model is not replicable by any other product provider.”