SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Automotive Dealership Institute (ADI), an automotive management school, has joined forces with Dealership for Life (DFL), a nationwide dealership customer loyalty and retention program.

DFL representatives will now offer all, or portions of, ADI’s Automotive Finance Management and Service Advisor training courses to its dealership partners as part of its program. ADI programs are designed to enable dealerships to increase their profit margins while retaining outstanding CSI.

As part of the agreement, ADI and DFL will exchange links to their Web sites.

"ADI's courses complement Dealership for Life's customer reward and retention program," said Jeff Buchanan, CEO of DFL. "Dealership for Life was created to provide a comprehensive, turnkey approach to the ultimate customer loyalty program for automotive dealerships. Training is an essential aspect of that philosophy, because it benefits both the dealership and the consumer."

"The concept of customer loyalty and retention is one that we stress in our classes," said Alan Algan, ADI CEO. "Referral and repeat business are fundamental building blocks, and are key factors in the growth and success of any dealership. By teaming with Dealership for Life, we can help spread that message to progressive dealerships that understand and appreciate the value of a professional automotive education."

ADI's four-week Automotive Finance Management program, developed by Dean of Education Arzu Algan, includes legal compliance certification by the Association of Finance and Insurance Professionals (AFIP), as well as Ethics Certification for Automotive Finance Professionals by the Institute of Ethical Behavior. Other significant course elements include credit bureau analysis, deal structuring, subprime financing and product presentation/objection handling. ADI's two-week Service Advisor program teaches students the nuts and bolts of that profession, including how to interact with customers and keep customer satisfaction at their highest levels.

Keith Tuber, ADI president, said, "Our message revolves around the concept of providing exceptional customer service.

Dealership for Life shares that same passion. By joining forces we can achieve a higher degree of professionalism in the automotive industry, and improve the image and conception of the dealership experience to the general public."

The Dealership for Life program is a concept developed by Idealergroup LLC, whose operations are also overseen by Buchanan. ADI and Idealergroup signed a marketing and Web site link exchange agreement in April.