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3 operational patterns separating top dealers from the ones getting left behind

3 operational patterns separating top dealers from the ones getting left behind

The tables have turned

Anna del Villar & Car Dealership Guy
June 05, 2025

Hey, everyone — Social media gets all the hype in retail auto, but how much is it actually moving the needle?

Here’s what CDG community had to say:

How important is social media in the car buying/selling process?

🟩 46% – Absolutely essential
🟨 32% – Helpful, but not a game-changer
🟥 22% – Not on my radar at all

Turns out, most folks think social matters, but not everyone's building around it yet.

—CDG

First time reading the CDG Newsletter? Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Breakdown, an analysis of auto retail’s top trends, moves, and insights—in under 5 minutes.

Recently, I put out a call on social media asking: who’s the most interesting person in automotive retail right now?

A handful of people replied with something I didn’t expect: “The customer.”

At first, it felt like a joke. But the more I sat with it, the harder it hit.

I spend so much time talking about what dealers are doing, but I don’t often pause to hear what actually happened on the other side of the desk.

So, we went straight to the source with the first-ever CDG Consumer Focus Group.

And three operational patterns showed up over and over from respondents that all point to the same thing: process discipline is now the primary competitive differentiator in automotive retailing.

Pattern #1: The handoff between departments is where good deals are going sideways.

This was the single most common failure point. And it rarely showed up as just one person “dropping the ball.” These were breakdowns caused by a lack of communication defined process between teams.

In our focus group, several buyers described negotiating pricing and interest rates with their salesperson (often over email or text), and walked into the dealership thinking the deal was set. Then, the finance manager quoted a different rate, added unexpected products, or changed the trade-in value.

“2025 Toyota tundra for my parents we had the deal negotiated in writing an email for $60,000 out the door price for 2.99 interest promotion by Toyota for 60 months no additional add-ons everything was agreed my parents are older they had to go into the dealership to sign the paperwork. They signed the paperwork on an iPad and we found out when we got the statement for the loan. The rate is 8.84 rather than 2.99 that we all agreed on I have it in writing." — Allen, 1★ review

The problem isn’t just that the F&I department didn’t match expectations with the sales team. It’s that the store had no system to reconcile what was promised with what was being contracted.

CDG analysis via Consumer Focus Group

Buyers described making two or three trips just to re-sign paperwork. One had to sit at the store for over four hours waiting for documents that “weren’t ready yet.” Several never received follow-up on accessories or repairs that were promised post-sale.

That kind of chaos kills deals and burns bridges…

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Pattern #2: F&I pressure is creating long-term reputational damage.

54% of low-rated responses specifically referenced the finance office.

Buyers used phrases like:

“Wore me down”
“Overwhelmed and rushed”
“Didn’t realize what I signed”

CDG analysis via Consumer Focus Group

“Drove from Orlando to Miami just to get another price when I showed up regardless I accepted and then went to finance department and they wanted me to pay even more !” — Gerardo, 2 ★ review

This kind of friction creates dissatisfaction and rewires customer behavior. One buyer said they’ll never buy F&I products again, even if they’re offered honestly, because of how burned they felt. Others told friends and family to avoid the store entirely.

But the irony is that F&I departments built to maximize profit per deal are systematically destroying the deals that matter most—the ones that turn into referrals, repeat customers, and positive word-of-mouth.

By contrast, the top-performing F&I managers in our data didn’t hard-close. They built trust.

“I bought my Bronco from an out of state dealer after seeing their deal posted on a forum. I shopped local dealers to see if they would match, but all said no or played games with the deposit, saying it wouldn't count toward the final price. Ultimately, I stuck with the out of state dealer and was so much better off for it. After confirming financing via a quick phone call, They picked me up at the airport and took me to the dealership. After quick inspection I signed papers and drove away. Easy.” — Travis, 5 ★ review

Pattern #3: Top stores aren’t perfect, but they are consistent.

The highest-rated dealers are running clean and predictable processes from end to end.

Paperwork was ready
The quote matched the final contract
No surprises in the box
Staff moved quickly but didn’t rush the buyer
Follow-up was fast and professional

CDG analysis via Consumer Focus Group

“Handled the deal via text. I showed up, signed, and was out in 30 minutes. Liked the experience so much I came back a week later and bought a second car.” — Ron, 5 ★ review

Buyers didn’t talk about being blown away by aggressive pricing. They talked about confidence that the store wouldn’t pull anything last-minute, that what was promised would be delivered, that they weren’t walking into a trap.

The process was so frictionless they barely noticed it. That’s the bar now.

From my vantage point, there’s a growing gap between dealers.

One one side there are those who can consistently execute, and on the other, those still running on good intentions and tribal knowledge.

The ones who’ve tightened their systems are getting better reviews, stronger referral flow, and more gross per deal (even at or near MSRP). Because they’ve made great experiences repeatable. Not optional.

Bottom line: Process used to be the thing to fixed when there was time. Now, it’s the thing that’s deciding who makes it through this next cycle, and who fades out trying to blame the market.