DealerRater revealed the winners this week of its second annual Consumer Satisfaction Awards, which recognize U.S. and Canadian dealerships that have received high marks for outstanding customer service on DealerRater.com and DealerRater.ca.

The Consumer Satisfaction Awards — an extension of DealerRater’s Dealer of the Year program — are given annually to the top 10 percent of U.S. franchised dealers based on their PowerScore, as well as all U.S. independent dealers and Canadian (new and used) dealers that meet the Dealer of the Year criteria.

Officials explained a dealership’s PowerScore is calculated using an algorithm that considers the dealership’s average DealerRater star-rating as well as the total number of reviews written about the dealership during the calendar year.

Consumer Satisfaction Award winners will receive a digital badge on their DealerRater Dealer Page so the site’s visitors can instantly identify providers of high-quality customer service.

The 2016 Dealer of the Year Award winners will be selected from the Consumer Satisfaction Award recipients and announced at the CBT Automotive Conference and Expo on Feb. 10.

“Many dealers have embraced online reputation management as a standard part of their day-to-day operations because consumers are increasingly using online reviews as part of their car shopping experience. The words a consumer writes about a dealer or specific employee can make the difference between whether or not someone chooses to visit a particular showroom,” DealerRater chief executive officer Gary Tucker said.

Tucker added, “2015 was a record year for U.S. car sales and the automotive sales environment is fiercely competitive. Those recognized should be proud of being at the top of their class in terms of customer satisfaction.”

For full details on the DealerRater Consumer Satisfaction Award, visit the DealerRater honoree website here.