Remember this! The finance manager will say something soothing like “Ijust want you to know that you’re almost done; none of the numbers will
change. I just want to ask a few questions.” This begins what’s called theinterview. Its purpose is to figure out what strategies will work best in the
closing, based on the type of customer you are. Maybe you’re a “just thefacts” gal, or a “more info” guy. These managers undergo training on a
regular basis to analyze you and your weaknesses.
Some leading questions are:
- How many miles a year do you drive?
- Who will be the primary driver?
- How long do you keep your cars?
These will seem innocuous enough, but they are part of a finely calibratedsystem whose purpose is to separate you from your money. A really good
F&I manager will subtly flatter your ego about how wise you are to havechosen a certain vehicle or to have arranged your own financing. They’ll try (^)
to instill the feeling that the time to make decisions is over, and that you’rein the home stretch.
Usually the next thing will be to have you wait a bit more, or perhaps giveyou a tour of the service department and introductions to other dealership (^)
personnel. But at some point they’ll escort you into the finance office. In theBox, you’ll be given the full-court press for things ranging from quite useful
to totally worthless. It can be hard to tell them apart—and they keep addingmore each year.