General RV Center brought a unique twist to its semiannual F&I training in November, holding the event at the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ One Buccaneer Place headquarters.
The company partnered with Fifth Third Bank to host an awards dinner and team-building program at the NFL facility Nov. 17. The decision created what leaders described as one of the department’s most memorable training sessions.
General RV National Director of Finance Charlie Hall said the event brought together 55 F&I team members. The Tampa session was among two November training programs. The other was the previous week at Detroit’s Renaissance Center.
“We train our F&I team consistently, but these in-person events are where we really get to bring everyone together,” Hall said. “Training is absolutely critical in our business. The F&I manager is usually the last stop in the customer’s buying journey, and our team is responsible for delivering an industry-leading purchase, delivery and ownership experience.”
The Tampa event combined two classroom training days with an evening at the Buccaneers’ headquarters. Fifth Third Bank Specialty Sales Director Jake Sterpka coordinated access to One Buc Place. Hall said credit also goes to General RV’s Brock Henwood, who shares the national director of finance title with Hall. Henwood focuses on lender relationships.
General RV’s team toured the facility and gathered in the press-conference room, where Hall, a lifelong Buccaneers fan who grew up in Tampa, had the unexpected thrill of standing at the Bucs’ podium to address the team.
“It was a great experience all around,” he said. “I have been to the facility before, but never had the chance to be up at the podium. It was pretty exciting, especially being able to share that with our team.”
Because the Buccaneers played an away game the night before, Hall said the group was unsure whether they would have full access to the facility. The football team’s employees and Fifth Third worked to accommodate the large group.
At the Detroit session the week before, General RV’s team gathered at the Renaissance Center, formerly the General Motors headquarters. Hall said pairing training with unique experiences keeps the F&I teams energized.
General RV’s F&I department includes employees from dealerships in 10 states.
“Probably everyone’s favorite part is getting together and putting faces to names,” Hall said. “We want our managers to have resources outside their own store. These relationships help them share best practices and take better care of customers.”
The company’s F&I development includes monthly virtual training, store-level coaching, an online training library and a full week of in-person onboarding at the corporate headquarters for every new F&I manager.
“We do not just hand someone a computer and keys and say, ‘Good luck,’” Hall said. “People are at the core of our business, both customers and employees, and we have to take care of our employees to take care of our customers.”
As General RV expanded into new markets, Hall said he future training events will bring more variety.
“This one will be hard to top, especially for me personally as a Bucs fan,” he said, “but our lending partners always find creative ways to help bring the team together. As we grow, we will have opportunities to host training in new parts of the country and create new experiences for our staff.”
