7:51 am, June 10, 2014
THE UK’s 10 largest dealer groups are now ‘SAF Approved’, says the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA).
Specialist Automotive Finance (SAF) was introduced by the FLA in 2007 to raise the professional standards of individual staff involved in selling motor finance in dealerships.
Approved Status was introduced two years later to recognise the commitment of dealerships where all employees involved in the sale of finance have passed the SAF competence test and have agreed to be retested once a year to keep their technical knowledge up to date.
The SAF network now has more than 2,500 showrooms across the UK, meaning that more customers than ever are benefitting from better information.
Financing Your Car, the FLA’s impartial guide to car finance, includes a search engine to help people find their nearest SAF Approved showroom using their postcode, preferred dealer or brand.
Paul Harrison, head of motor dinance at the FLA, said: ‘The SAF scheme is designed and supported by the motor finance industry. It invests in the training of dealership staff to ensure high standards of expertise when selling motor finance. We have today reached an important milestone, as the top 10 UK dealerships have all now achieved Approved Status.
‘With motor finance now supporting 75 per cent of private new car sales, SAF knowledge is essential for any showroom team.’
