Bill Smith Ford Lincoln is among an elite group of Ford and Lincoln dealerships to be recognized with the 2011 President's Award by Ford Motor Co.

The prestigious award honors dealerships that have excelled in automotive retailing in 2011 by providing exceptional customer service and satisfaction, a news release said.

"Earning the award is a reflection of our entire staff's commitment to delivering the best customer experience possible," said Bill Smith, owner of Bill Smith Ford Lincoln. "I couldn't be more proud to receive this recognition, especially since it comes from the people we value most - our customers. They're the reason we were able to achieve this award."

The President's Award was established in 1998. Dealers become eligible through survey responses from customers related to their sales and service satisfaction.

Bill Smith Ford Lincoln has been a top performer in customer satisfaction for Ford Motor Co. and a winner of six previous President's Awards for customer satisfaction and total dealership operations, the release said. Bill Smith Ford Lincoln received the President's Award for 2011 and the "One Ford Elite Award" that is only given to the top 165 dealers in the nation.

"In order to achieve the President's Award, dealers must exceed customer expectations every day in every department," said Donna Buss, regional manager for Ford Motor Co. "The pursuit of excellence is not for the faint of heart - it requires passion, tenacity and, of course, hard work.

"This prestigious award salutes those top performing Ford and Lincoln dealerships that embrace these philosophies, achieving among the highest levels of customer satisfaction - in both sales and service - in automotive retailing."