HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -

WomenCertified revealed today a list of the dealers who excel in customer service in an effort to help women identify the best rooftops to visit in their community. 

The company who represents female car shoppers released the  first WomenCertified Top Dealerships for Outstanding Customer Experience for 2011, which is being sponsored by Dealer Communications.

This year’s list is the first of which is to become an annual series, and identifies "the country’s top auto dealerships based on female customer satisfaction and women’s reported preferences during their car buying, leasing and service experiences," officials explained.

“Car buying is often viewed as a male-dominated activity,” said Delia Passi, chief executive officer and founder of WomenCertified, and former publisher of Working Women and Working Mother magazines.

“But women not only buy 51 percent of vehicles today, they also influence 96 percent of vehicle purchases for their families. Our goal is to identify and reward the dealerships that meet and exceed women’s expectations for the car buying process and encourage the industry to better serve their top customers’ needs,” she continued, stressing the importance of taking female consumers’ opinions into account.

The following categories were taken into consideration while choosing the dealers that made it onto  the list: cleanliness, quality of the sales experience and women’s propensity to refer that dealership, to name a few.

Moreover, the list was determined through surveys of dealers’ female customers, the company also noted.

And to make it onto the list, survey results had to show that nine out of 10 women would recommend the dealership to others.

“Dealerships are scored against the WomenCertified Female Sales and Service Satisfaction Index, which is based on a joint customer satisfaction study with the Wharton School of Business,” officials further explained. 

Further commenting on their partnership with the business school, Passi noted: “Our study with the Wharton School showed that when you meet the expectations of women, you exceed those of men. This study clearly found that women set the standard for customer service. The top dealerships we’ve identified understand that meeting this standard is good business – both for the dealership and for the customer. The Women’s Choice Award is a win-win.”

And on top of being named on the list, many of these same dealerships will carry the “Women’s Choice Award seal so that women will be empowered to make better buying choices by having a Seal that represents the collective opinion of women,” the company explained.

Executives from sponsor company Dealer Communications also offered their take on the list, stressing its importance to dealers.

Michael Roscoe, president and CEO of Dealer Communications, said, “Earning a place on this list will enhance any dealership’s reputation for superior customer service.  In today’s market where the consumer rules, being identified by women as a dealership that can be trusted is something every dealership should strive for. If a dealership provides superior service to its women customers, it will provide that same level of service to all its customers.”

The following dealerships made it onto the first WomenCertified Top Dealerships for Outstanding Customer Experience for 2011:

•    Acura Columbus, Dublin, Ohio. 
•    Acura of Libertyville, Libertyville, Ill.
•    Alberni Toyota, Port Alberni, BC, Canada
•    Alexandria Toyota Scion, Alexandria  Va.
•    Darcars Toyota of Frederick, Frederick, Md.
•    DCH Tustin Acura, Tustin, Calif.
•    Don Ledford Automotive, Cleveland, Tenn.
•    Fitzgerald Toyota Gaithersburg, Gaithersburg, Md.
•    Fresno Lexus, Fresno, Calif.
•    Hank Graff Chevrolet, Davison, Mich.
•    Harry Robinson Buick GMC, Ft. Smith, Ariz.
•    Jim Norton Toyota, Tulsa, Okla. 
•    JM Lexus, Margate, Fla.
•    Jon Lancaster Toyota, Madison, Wis.
•    Leachman Buick GMC Cadillac, Bowling, Ky.
•    Lexus of Edmonton, Edmonton, AB, Canada
•    Lexus of Orlando, Orlando, Fla.
•    Longo Lexus, El Monte, Calif.
•    Longo Toyota, El Monte, Calif.
•    McGrath Lexus, Chicago
•    Paradise Chevrolet Cadillac, Temecula, Calif.
•    Rusnak Arcadia Mercedes-Benz, Arcadia, Calif.
•    Rusnak Audi Pasadena, Pasadena, Calif.
•    Rusnak Audi Westlake, Westlake, Calif.
•    Rusnak Hyundai Inland Empire, Loma Linda, Calif.
•    Rusnak Jaguar, Pasadena, Calif.
•    Russell & Smith Honda, Houston
•    Scholfield Honda, Wichita, Kan,
•    Schumacher Chevrolet, Little Falls, N.J.
•    Suntrup Nissan Volkswagen, St. Louis
•    Victory GMC Trucks, Calera, Ala.
•    Westchester Toyota, Westchester, N.Y
•    Wheelers Automotive, Marshfield, Wis.