Finance and Insurance - The Profit Center I would like to make myself clear on a few items of interest before I get too deep into the sales processes at any dealership, including: automobile, recreational vehicles, boats, motorcycle, and even furniture or other big ticket items. A business has to turn a fair profit in order to stay in business. I believe that they should make this profit and use it to pay better quality employees a premium wage in order to serve you better. The financial strengths or weaknesses of any business can definitely have a dramatic effect on your customer service and satisfaction. I do not, in any shape or form, wish to hurt a dealerships profitability, as it is essential for his survival. I merely want to advise people how to negotiate a little better in order to make the profit center more balanced. Let's get right down to this! Every dealership has a finance and insurance department. This department is a huge profit center in any dealership. In some cases, it earns more money than the sale of the automobile itself. Profits are made from many things that most buyers do not understand. You as a consumer should understand the "flow" of the sales process to understand the profit centers that are ahead of you. Most negotiating from the consumer seems to stop after the original price is negotiated and agreed upon. Let's examine just a small portion of what leads up to that point. The first thing that every consumer should understand is that when you go to a dealership several things come into play. One of the most important things that I could point out to you is that you are dealing with a business that has been trained to get the most amount of money from you as they can. They are trained and they practice these tactics everyday, day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year. Let me point out a couple of important facts that I have said in this paragraph. First, you'll notice that I said a dealership and not a salesman and secondly, I emphasized times of day after day, week after week, etc. etc. This was done to let you know that the salesman is working very closely with the sales managers in order to make as much money as he can. Your interests are really not their objective in most cases. One tactic that is used heavily in the business is that the salesman says he is new to the business. This may be true or not, however; keep in mind that he does not work alone. He is working with store management, who gives him advice on what to say and when to say it. These guys or gals are very well trained on how to overcome every objection that you may have to buying from them. They have been trained in the psychology of the buyer and how to tell what your "hot buttons" are. They listen to things in your conversation that you may say to one another as well as to the salesman. They are trained to tell their desk managers everything that you say and then the desk manager is trained to tell the salesman exactly what and how to answer you. A seasoned salesman does not need as much advice from his desk and may negotiate a little more with you directly without going back and forth. The process of negotiation begins the moment that you walk into the front door or step foot out of your car and begin to look at vehicles. Different stores display inventory in different ways. This is done for crowd control or more commonly known as "up control". Control is the first step in negotiating with a customer. Ever who asks the questions controls the situation. Let me give you an example: A salesman walks up to you and says "Welcome to ABC motors, my name is Joe, and what is yours?" The salesman has just asked the first question- you answer "My name is George." He then asks you what you are looking for today, or; the famous "Can I help You?" As you can see, step after step, question after question, he leads you down a path that he is trained to do. Many times a well trained salesperson will not answer your questions directly. In some cases, they only respond to questions with other questions in order to avert the loss of control. An example of this could be something like you asking the salesman if he has this same car with an automatic rather than a stick shift. Two responses could come back to you. One would be yes or no, the other could very well be something along the lines of: 'don't you know how to drive a stick shift?" In the second response the salesman gained more information from you in order to close you. Closing means to overcome every objection and give your customer no way out other than where do I sign. The art of selling truly is a science of well scripted roll playing and rehearsal. We have established that the negotiating process begins with a series of questions. These questions serve as two main elements of the sales process. First and foremost is to establish rapport and control. The more information that you are willing to share with you salesman in the first few minutes gives him a greater control of the sales process. He has gathered mental notes on our ability to purchase such as whether you have a trade in or not, if you have a down payment, how much can you afford, are you the only decision maker (is there a spouse?), how is your credit, or do you have a payoff on your trade in? These are one of many pieces of information that they collect immediately. Secondly, this information is used to begin a conversation with store management about who the salesman is with, what are they looking for, and what is their ability to purchase. Generally, a sales manager then directs the sales process from his seat in the "tower". A seat that generally overlooks the sales floor or the sales lot. He is kind of like a conductor of an orchestra, seeing all, and hearing all. I cannot describe the entire sales process with you as this varies from dealer to dealer, however; the basic principals of the sale do not vary too much. Most dealerships get started after a demo or test drive. Usually a salesman gets a sheet of paper out that is called a four square. The four square is normally used to find the customer's "hot points". The four corners of the sheet have the following items addressed, not necessarily in this order. Number one is sales price, number two is trade value, number three is down payment, and number four is monthly payments. The idea here is to reduce three out of the four items and focus on YOUR hot button. Every person settles in on something different. The idea for the salesman is to get you to focus and commit to one or two of the hot buttons without even addressing the other two or three items. When you do settle in on one of the items on the four square, the process of closing you becomes much easier. One thing to keep in mind is that all four items are usually negotiable and are usually submitted to you the first time in a manner as to maximize the profit that the dealer earns on the deal. Usually the MSRP is listed unless there is a sales price that is advertised (in may cases the vehicle is advertised, but; you are not aware). The trade value is usually first submitted to you as wholesale value. Most dealers request 25-33% down payment. Most monthly payments are inflated using maximum rate. What this all boils down to is that the price is usually always negotiable, the trade in is definitely negotiable, the down payment may be what you choose, and the monthly payment and interest rates are most certainly negotiable. If you do your homework prior to a dealership visit you can go into the negotiation process better armed. You still need to keep two things in mind through this process. The first item is that you are dealing with a sales TEAM that is usually highly skilled and money motivated. The more you pay the more they earn. The second item to remember is that you may have done your homework and think that you are getting a great deal and the dealer is still making a lot of money. The latter part of this statement goes back to the fact that it is essential for a dealer to make a "fair" profit in order to serve you better. Once your negotiations are somewhat settled, you are then taken to the business or finance department to finalize your paperwork. Keep in mind that this too is another negotiating process. In fact, the finance manager is usually one of the top trained sales associates that definitely knows all the ins and outs of maximizing the dealerships profit. It is in the finance department that many dealers actually earn more than they earned by selling the car, boat, RV, or other large ticket item to you. We will break these profit centers down for you and enlighten you as to how the process usually works. Remember that finance people are more often than not a superior skilled negotiator that is still representing the dealership. It may seem that he or she has your best interests at heart, but; they are still profit centered. The real problem with finance departments are that the average consumer has just put his or her guard down. They have just negotiated hard for what is assumed to be a good deal. They have taken this deal at full faced value and assume that all negotiations are done. The average consumer doesn't even have an understanding of finances or how the finance department functions. The average consumer nearly "lays down" for anything that the finance manager says. The interest rate is one of the largest profit centers in the finance department. For example, the dealership buys the interest rate from the bank the same way that he buys the car from the manufacturer. He may only have to pay 6% to the bank for a $25,000 loan. He can then charge you 8% for that same $25,000. The dealer is paid on the difference. If this is a five year loan that amount could very well be $2,000. So the dealer makes an additional $2,000 profit on the sale when the bank funds the loan. This is called a rate spread or "reserves". In mortgages, this is disclosed at time of closing on the HUD-1 statement as Yield Spread Premium. This may also be disclosed on the Good Faith Estimate or GFE. You can see why it becomes important to understand bank rates and financing. Many finance managers use a menu to sell aftermarket products to you. This process is very similar to the four square process that I discussed in the beginning. There are usually items like gap insurance, extended service contracts, paint and fabric guard, as well as many other after market products available from this dealer. The menu again is usually stacked up to be presented to the consumer in a way that the dealer maximizes his profitability if you take the best plan available. The presentation is usually given in a manner in which the dealer wins no matter what options are chosen. With the additional items being pitched to you at closing, your mind becomes less entrenched on the rates and terms and your focus then turns to the after market products. Each aftermarket item can very well make the dealer up to 300-400% over what he pays for these items. Gap coverage for example may cost the dealer $195.00 and is sold to the consumer for $895.00. The $700.00 is pure profit to the dealer and is very rarely negotiated down during this process. The service contract may only cost a dealer $650.00 and is being sold for $2000.00. The difference in these items are pure profit to the dealer. You see, if you only paid $995.00 for the same contract, the dealer still earns $345.00 profit from you and you still have the same coverage that you would have had if you had paid the $2000.00. The same is true for the gap coverage. You are covered the same if you paid $395.00 or $895.00 if the dealers costs are only $195.00. The only difference is the amount of profit that you paid to the dealer. Another huge profit center is paint and fabric protector. In most cases the costs to apply the product are minimal (around $125.00 on average). In many cases the dealer charges you $1200-$1800 for this paint and fabric guard. As you can see, these products sold in the finance department are huge profit centers and are negotiable. I also have to recommend the value of most all products sold in a finance department. It is in your best interest to get the best coverage possible at the best price possible. Always remember this: The dealer has to make a fair profit to stay in business. It just doesn't have to be all out of your pocket.
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Biometric Payment Authentication (BPA) - Corporate Banking Transactions: Pakistan Perspective 1. Introduction The term 'authentication', describes the process of verifying the identity of a person or entity. Within the domain of corporate e-banking systems, the authentication process is one method used to control access to corporate customer accounts and transaction processing. Authentication is typically dependent upon corporate customer users providing valid identification data followed by one or more authentication credentials (factors) to prove their identity. Customer identifiers may be user ID / password, or some form of user ID / token device. An authentication factor (e.g. PIN, password and token response algorithm) is secret or unique information linked to a specific customer identifier that is used to verify that identity. Generally, the way to authenticate customers is to have them present some sort of factor to prove their identity. Authentication factors include one or more of the following: Something a person knows - commonly a password or PIN. If the user types in the correct password or PIN, access is granted Something a person has - most commonly a physical device referred to as a token. Tokens include self-contained devices that must be physically connected to a computer or devices that have a small screen where a one-time password (OTP) is displayed or can be generated after inputting PIN, which the user must enter to be authenticated Something a person is - most commonly a physical characteristic, such as a fingerprint. This type of authentication is referred to as "biometrics" and often requires the installation of specific hardware on the system to be accessed Authentication methodologies are numerous and range from simple to complex. The level of security provided varies based upon both the technique used and the manner in which it is deployed. Multifactor authentication utilizes two or more factors to verify customer identity and allows corporate e-banking user to authorize payments. Authentication methodologies based upon multiple factors can be more difficult to compromise and should be considered for high-risk situations. The effectiveness of a particular authentication technique is dependent upon the integrity of the selected product or process and the manner in which it is implemented and managed. 'Something a person is' Biometric technologies identify or authenticate the identity of a living person on the basis of a physiological characteristic (something a person is). Physiological characteristics include fingerprints, iris configuration, and facial structure. The process of introducing people into a biometrics-based system is called 'enrollment'. In enrollment, samples of data are taken from one or more physiological characteristics; the samples are converted into a mathematical model, or template; and the template is registered into a database on which a software application can perform analysis. Once enrolled, customers interact with the live-scan process of the biometrics technology. The live scan is used to identify and authenticate the customer. The results of a live scan, such as a fingerprint, are compared with the registered templates stored in the system. If there is a match, the customer is authenticated and granted access. Biometric identifier, such as a fingerprint, can be used as part of a multifactor authentication system, combined with a password (something a person knows) or a token (something a person has). Currently in Pakistan, mostly banks are using two-factor authentications i.e. PIN and token in combination with user ID. Fingerprint recognition technologies analyze global pattern schemata on the fingerprint, along with small unique marks known as minutiae, which are the ridge endings and bifurcations or branches in the fingerprint ridges. The data extracted from fingerprints are extremely dense and the density explains why fingerprints are a very reliable means of identification. Fingerprint recognition systems store only data describing the exact fingerprint minutiae; images of actual fingerprints are not retained. Banks in Pakistan offering Internet-based products and services to their customers should use effective methods for high-risk transactions involving access to customer information or the movement of funds to other parties or any other financial transactions. The authentication techniques employed by the banks should be appropriate to the risks associated with those products and services. Account fraud and identity theft are frequently the result of single-factor (e.g. ID/password) authentication exploitation. Where risk assessments indicate that the use of single-factor authentication is inadequate, banks should implement multifactor authentication, layered security, or other controls reasonably calculated to mitigate those risks. Although some of the Banks especially the major multinational banks has started to use two-factor authentication but keeping in view the information security, additional measure needs to be taken to avoid any unforeseen circumstances which may result in financial loss and reputation damage to the bank. There are a variety of technologies and methodologies banks use to authenticate customers. These methods include the use of customer passwords, personal identification numbers (PINs), digital certificates using a public key infrastructure (PKI), physical devices such as smart cards, one-time passwords (OTPs), USB plug-ins or other types of tokens. However addition to these technologies, biometric identification can be an added advantage for the two-factor authentication: a) as an additional layer of security b) cost effective Existing authentication methodologies used in Pakistani Banks involve two basic factors: i. Something the user knows (e.g. password, PIN) ii. Something the user has (e.g. smart card, token) This paper research proposes the use of another layer which is biometric characteristic such as a fingerprint in combination to the above. So adding this we will get the below authentication methodologies: i. Something the user knows (e.g. password, PIN) ii. Something the user has (e.g. smart card, token) iii. Something the user is (e.g. biometric characteristic, such as a fingerprint) The success of a particular authentication method depends on more than the technology. It also depends on appropriate policies, procedures, and controls. An effective authentication method should have customer acceptance, reliable performance, scalability to accommodate growth, and interoperability with existing systems and future plans. 2. Methodology The methodologies applied in this paper build on a two-step approach. First, through my past experience working in Cash Management department of a leading multinational bank, implementing electronic banking solutions for corporate clients throughout Pakistan and across geographies. Secondly, consulting and interviewing friends working in Cash Management departments of other banks in Pakistan and Middle East for better understanding of the technology used in the market; its benefits and consequences for successful implementations. 3. Implementation in Pakistan Biometric Payment Authentication (BPA) i.e. biometric characteristic, such as a fingerprint for authorizing financial transactions on corporate e-Banking platform implementation in Pakistan will be discussed in this section. First the descriptive, then the economic benefit analysis for adopting the presented methodology. As technology is very much advanced today, fingerprint scanners are now readily available on almost every laptop or a stand-alone scanning device may be attached to a computer. Also with the advent of smart phones, now the fingerprint scanner is available on phones as well (e.g. Apple iPhone, Samsung mobile sets etc) In Pakistan, end users shouldn't have trouble using a fingerprint-scanning device on a laptop or on a smart phone as all work which needs to be done has to be done by banks introducing this methodology. Besides this Pakistan is a perfect location to implement biometrics based authentication, mainly because: a. CNICs are issued after taking the citizen's biometric information - especially fingerprints b. Telco companies needs to maintain and validate an individual's fingerprints before issuing a SIM card These examples show that a large population Pakistan is already familiar and comfortable with biometrics (fingerprints) methodology. However, banks have to develop their e-banking portal or application in accordance with and by accepting fingerprints for corporate users. The e-banking portal would invoke the fingerprint device of the end user for either login or authenticating financial transactions. Enrollment can be performed either remotely through first time login into e-banking platform after user has received setup instructions and passwords or at the bank's customer service center. This article suggests banks in Pakistan to move multifactor authentication through PIN and; fingerprints. Fingerprints are unique and complex enough to provide a robust template for authentication. Using multiple fingerprints from the same individual affords a greater degree of accuracy. Fingerprint identification technologies are among the most mature and accurate of the various biometric methods of identification. Now let's discuss the economic benefits of using PIN and; fingerprints instead of token devices for authentications. And before we deep dive into the statistics, first just look into the current process of token inventory ordering to its delivery to the end user and then its maintenance if any token is lost or faulty. Mostly banks in Pakistan order and import tokens from a US based company called 'VASCO Data Security International Inc.'. Once order is placed, the VASCO ships the token to the respective ordering bank and the bank receives the tokens after clearing the custom duties. Banks settles the invoices of VASCO by sending back the amount through outward remittance along with the courier charges. Banks then initialize the token and upon customer written request issues the token to an end user. The token is couriered to the end user and training is conducted via phone or physical visit of the bank's representative to the customer office. Any lost or faulty token are replaced with new ones and again couriered to end users. Tokens are returned back to banks if any end user resigns their organization or is being moved into some other role that doesn't involve banking related operations or use of e-banking platform. Theoretically it seems pretty simple, but practically these are very time consuming activities and cost is associated to each and every step mentioned above. Now, let's do some cost calculation which are associated to the above activities and build some statistics so that cost benefit analysis can be done. Currently, some of the banks in Pakistan, locally, have introduced fingerprint recognition technologies to authenticate ATM users and are in the phase of eliminating the need for an ATM card which will eventually help banks in cost saving of replacing lost or stolen cards. Cost calculations are approximations and not to be taken as true cost for any budgeting. 3.1. Descriptive Statistics The descriptive statistics for token inventory ordering to its delivery to the end user and then its maintenance if any token is lost or faulty (statistics built on roughly 1000 tokens consumption per year per bank) are shown in the below statistics. Descriptive Statistics Tokens Cost (1000 tokens) 15,000USD (1,569,000PKR) Custom Duty 4,610USD (482,206PKR) Courier to End User 922USD (96,441PKR) Training Cost 7376 (771,530PKR) Total 27908USD (2,919,177PKR) The above stats shows that, approximately 28000USD (amount in USD rounding off to thousands) is spent on tokens by a single bank which can easily be saved if the token is replaced by fingerprints. It's not only cost saving for a bank but also ease off banks in administration and maintenance.




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