In the face of recent lawsuits and negative press reports springing from the actions of a few unethical finance and insurance managers, dealer

groups are working diligently to improve F&I compliance assessment. To that end, dealers are looking closely at a new program from Maritz Research.

Maritz Virtual Customers for Automotive Retail, a mystery shopping program that sends "virtual customers" into dealerships, allows dealer groups to monitor internal sales and service operations as never before.

"We don't send a product, we send a person," said David Greene, director of Automotive Retail Strategy at Maritz Research, one of the largest marketing research firms with a focus on automotive retail.

"Going beyond a basic audit of deal jackets after the fact, Maritz sends in shoppers who can qualify for credit approval on a new vehicle purchase," Greene said. "This allows us to present a fully simulated sales scenario to the dealership and evaluate all aspects of the F&I management pocess. There is no substitute for putting boots on the ground."

The shoppers for the F&I program are trained to recognize and understand the key forms and documents of a vehicle purchase transaction, including different versions of F&I product "menus." Armed with this expertise, the virtual customers can precisely identify if correct disclosure and compliance requirements are being followed. To maintain the confidentiality of client organizations, the shoppers are all Maritz employees who have signed legally binding non-disclosure agreements.

"Maritz Virtual Customers gives dealers documented knowledge of F&I productivity and compliance -- proof positive of dealers' adherence to NADA's code of ethics," Greene said. "We also provide an Operational Integrity Report that analyzes data from the four key areas: administrative/procedural compliance, disclosure compliance, F&I sales effectiveness, and F&I sales efficiency. Our analysis includes

verbatim shopper comments so dealer management can get a picture of what's really happening in the F&I office from the customer's perspective."

Another key feature of Maritz Virtual Customers for Automotive Retail is the "hot alert" protocol -- a red-flag system that notifies

management of shopper findings that may require immediate attention before they are repeated during a vehicle purchase with an actual shopper.

About Maritz Research

As one of the world's largest marketing research firms, Maritz Research, a unit of Maritz Inc., says it helps many of today's most successful companies improve performance through a deep understanding of their customers, employees and channel partners.

Founded in 1973, it offers a range of strategic and tactical solutions concentrating primarily in the automotive, financial services, hospitality,

telecommunications, workplace and technology industries. The company has achieved ISO 9001 registration, the international symbol of quality. It is a member of CASRO and official sponsor of the American Marketing Association.

Based in St. Louis, Maritz Inc. provides market and customer research, communications, learning

solutions, incentive initiatives, meetings and event management, rewards and recognition, travel management services, and customer loyalty programs.

Maritz has a presence in 42 countries, with key

offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Spain.

For more information, visit www.maritz.com.