DBusiness Daily Update: Report: Customer Satisfaction with Airlines Reaches All-time High, and More

Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.

Report: Customer Satisfaction with Airlines Reaches All-time High

The day after U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that airlines would have to automatically give cash refunds to passengers for canceled and significantly delayed flights, the Ann Arbor-based American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Travel Study 2023-2024 reports consumer satisfaction with airlines is at an all-time high.

The airline industry hit an all-time customer satisfaction high of 77 after a second straight 1 percent year-over year improvement.

“Airline customer satisfaction has climbed to new heights, reaching scores not seen even before the pandemic disrupted travel,” says Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University in East Lansing and director of research emeritus at the ACSI. “Carriers have bounced back strongly, showing that innovations and service improvements implemented during the last two years have resonated with customers.”

Alaska leads the way for the second consecutive year, increasing 1 percent to an ACSI score of 82. American is second, up 1 percent to 79.

Low-cost carriers Allegiant (up 4 percent to 78), Frontier (up 3 percent to 69), and Spirit (up 5 percent to 67) make the biggest ACSI gains as they crank up their value propositions, but only Allegiant avoids sitting at the low end of the industry, finishing in third place.

United is the only carrier to lose ground, slipping 3 percent to an ACSI score of 75.

Industry scores, analysts say, generally appear to have been buoyed by large increases in airline staffing levels since their pandemic lows. This is reflected in score improvements industrywide for staff-driven aspects of the customer experience such as check-in (83) and boarding (81), cabin cleanliness (82), and staff courtesy (81). These are particularly notable for budget carriers, who see large increases in scores for staff-related benchmarks.

To acquire the full report, visit here .

Century Complete Debuts New Community in Westland

Colorado-based Century Communities Inc. announced the company’s Century Complete brand is now selling at Carly Court in Westland.

Nestled in a cul-de-sac, Carly Court provides homeowners with an added sense of privacy. New homes at the community are currently priced from the high $200s, with a selection of two-story floor plans that boast contemporary open-concept layouts, basements, and modern included features.

Homebuyers will have a location near I-275 and I-96 — providing easy access to the Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan, plus economic and employment hotspots in the Detroit metro area.

“Carly Court brings more of our affordable and quality new homes to the greater Detroit area,” says Greg Huff, president of Century Communities. “Offering a great location with exceptional open-concept plans and only 16 homesites, we anticipate homes to go quickly.”

For more information, visit here .

Ford Pro Vehicles Win Eight Vincentric Best Fleet Value in America Awards

The Ford Pro commercial vehicle division of Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn led the pack winning eight awards in the 19th annual Vincentric Best Fleet Value in America Awards.

“Our customers depend on Ford commercial vehicles to get the job done while bringing added value to their fleet,” says Tim Baughman, general manager of Ford Pro North America. “This recognition by Vincentric underscores Ford’s commitment to building vehicles to do just that and demonstrates how going electric can be good for business and the planet.”

Ford’s awards include:

• 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Pro Supercrew 4WD – Best Fleet Value in America: Full-Size 1/2-Ton Pickup segment.
• 2024 Ford F-250 XL Reg Cab 2WD – Best Fleet Value in America: Full-Size 3/4-Ton Pickup segment.
• 2024 Ford F-350 XL Reg Cab 2WD SRW – Best Fleet Value in America: Full-Size 1-Ton Pickup segment.
• 2024 Ford T350 Vans XLT Low Roof RWD 148 – Best Fleet Value in America: Full-Size 1-Ton Passenger Van segment.
• 2024 Ford T150 Vans Cargo Low Roof RWD 130 – Best Fleet Value in America: Full-Size 1/2-Ton Cargo Van segment.
• 2024 Ford T250 Vans Cargo Low Roof RWD 130 – Best Fleet Value in America: Full-Size 3/4-Ton Cargo Van segment.
• 2024 Ford E-Transit 350 Base Cargo LR 130 WB – Best Fleet Value in America: Full-Size 1-Ton Cargo Van segment.
• 2024 Ford Maverick XL Supercrew FWD – Best Fleet Value in America: Small Pickup segment.

Vincentric, a privately held automotive data compilation and analysis firm, measures vehicle cost of ownership using eight factors: depreciation, fees and taxes, financing, fuel, insurance, maintenance, opportunity cost, and repairs.

Dearborn’s Carhartt, Luke Grimes Team Up to Champion People Building Legacies

Writing the next chapter of its “History In The Making” campaign, Dearborn-based Carhartt has partnered with actor and musician Luke Grimes to champion those building their futures through hard work.

This mission comes to life in the form of a five-minute short film, titled “Setting the Stage,” that shares the untold story of how Grimes’ experience working in the skilled trades helped create a legacy within the TV, film, and now music industries.

The film begins to spotlight the future Carhartt and Luke are building together, from the composition of a song to the construction of a live show, and the hard work in between. The creative, which also will feature :30, :15, and :60 second cuts, provides a unique look through Grimes’ own words on his backstory, his creative process, and how his blue-collar background inspired the music he writes and the ways in which he approaches the characters he plays.

Additionally, he pays tribute and turns the spotlight on the hardworking stage crews who get the job done to help bring his music to the stage.

For more information, visit here .

Gale Digital Scholar Lab Expands to Help Students Present and Share Digital Research

Gale in Farmington Hills has expanded the Gale Digital Scholar Lab platform with enhanced support for conducting and presenting digital humanities research — from idea to publication.

The new Projects feature within Gale Digital Scholar Lab offers a guided framework to help students compile their research into a final report, and Gale Research Showcase gives early career researchers an opportunity to share their projects with a worldwide audience of Lab users and others as a first step in academic publishing.

These new capabilities support and increase the impact of digital humanities in the classroom, expanding pathways to interdisciplinary knowledge, skills, and careers.

For more information, visit here .

Three Michigan Townships Designated as Smart Rural Communities

Three Sanilac County townships in Michigan’s Thumb Region — Novesta, Buel, and Custer townships — have been named Smart Rural Communities by internet connectivity provider Highline.

As a result of Highline’s recognition as a Smart Rural Community provider by NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association, all of the communities it has connected to real high-speed internet will be celebrated as Smart Rural Communities in program materials and online, joining a national network of similarly innovative communities.

Detroit Pistons to Host NBA Math Hoops Regional Tournament

The Detroit Pistons are hosting the Pistons’ Math Hoops Regional Tournament presented by Michigan First Credit Union and in partnership with Learn Fresh at the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center from 5-8:30 p.m. on Monday.

Fifty students from Central Detroit Christian Community Development Corp., Barhitte Elementary, Lakeview Middle School, Sound Mind Sound Body, and Little Scholars of Detroit will compete in teams of two for the opportunity to represent the Detroit Pistons at the NBA Math Hoops Global Championship tournament in June.

NBA Math Hoops leverages the game of basketball and the NBA/WNBA brands to build fundamental math and social-emotional skills through a physical and digital basketball-themed board game, a curriculum, and a community program experience. Designed for students in grades 4-8, this free program develops students’ algebra readiness prior to entering high school, while strengthening important skills including self-regulation and executive function. The NBA Math Hoops program is implemented in in-school, out-of-school, and home learning environments.

Following the tournament, students will compete against each other in an on-court version of NBA Math Hoops. The court will be set up like the NBA Math Hoops game board where numbers are placed on the court, and the students on each side complete math problems on a shot planner. The game functions exactly like the board game, except instead of using player cards, Pistons special guests will be taking the shots.

Denso Announces MobiQ for the Automotive Aftermarket

Denso Products and Services Americas Inc., an affiliate of Southfield mobility supplier Denso, unveiled MobiQ, the company’s new brand of aftermarket smart mobility and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) products and solutions this week at the ITS America Conference & Expo 2024 in Phoenix.

“MobiQ stands for mobility, intelligence and quality,” says Hiroshi Yanone, senior manager of Connected Services at Denso Products and Services Americas. “We are committed to the smart mobility market and are excited to bring 75 years of automotive expertise to promote safer, more efficient and cleaner movement of people, vehicles and cargo on the road today.”

MobiQ is comprised of:

A Roadside Unit that can integrate with existing infrastructure such as traffic signal controllers and networks to optimize safe and efficient traffic movement.

An On-Board Unit enabling connected vehicles and intelligent infrastructure to communicate, creating new opportunities to enhance road safety and vehicle movement.

Williams Williams Rattner & Plunkett Responds to Ruling Banning Noncompete Agreements

Following review of the April 23 ruling by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) banning noncompete agreements, attorneys from Birmingham-based law firm Williams Williams Rattner & Plunkett (WWRP), provided the following assessment.

In a press release from the FTC, the agency touted the nationwide ban as a move that will promote competition by protecting the basic freedom of workers to change jobs, increase innovation, and lead to the formation of new businesses. WWRP partner David Plunkett has seen both the favorable and negative implications of noncompete agreements.

Plunkett says the FTC ruling, which already is facing pushback from pro-business groups and a lawsuit from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, renders existing noncompetes unenforceable 120 days after its publication in the Federal Register, which likely will occur this week. There is an exception for senior executives, who represent less than 1 percent of workers covered by non-competes, and existing agreements with senior executives may remain enforceable under the new rule.

All other noncompete agreements have been characterized by the new rule as unenforceable and the new rule requires employers to notify employees that the employer will not seek enforcement.  Additionally, no new noncompetes with workers at any level, including senior executives, can be entered into once the rule is effective. However, Plunkett also noted that other restrictive covenants, including non-solicitation agreements, are not explicitly prohibited by the new FTC rule.

WWRP partner Robert Bick advises employers to assess the interests the employer seeks to protect and consider whether the use of trade secret law and nondisclosure agreements, which are unaffected by the new rule, are available to their situation and can be utilized if not already in place.  In addition, Bick notes that the FTC rule does not apply to noncompetition agreements entered into during a “bona fide sale of a business entity,” including a sale of all or substantially all of the stock or assets of a business.

Applied Intuition, Audi Partner on Unified Solution for Automated Driving

Applied Intuition Inc., a Silicon Valley-based vehicle software supplier with offices in Ann Arbor and Detroit and Audi AG in Germany are partnering to create a unified solution that enables the development, validation, type approval, and deployment of automated driving systems for the Audi Group on the vehicle level.

This joint solution is expected to set a new benchmark for the fast, robust, and cost-efficient validation and release of AD functions with industry-leading safety in an expanded operational design domain. It is independent, future-proof, and can be used across different AD stacks within Audi Group, according to the partners.

The increasing complexity of AD functions, paired with disparate tooling, can lead to a slow and costly development process. Applied Intuition and Audi’s partnership solves this challenge by extending Applied Intuition’s end-to-end simulation and data management solutions with specialized applications co-developed by both companies.

The resulting unified framework utilizes Audi’s scenario-based systems engineering experience and Applied Intuition’s software-engineering expertise to create a differentiated AD release and lifecycle management solution that meets current and future regulatory requirements. Other automotive equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can use this framework in the future.

Winning Futures is Recruiting Metro Detroit Mentors

Winning Futures in Warren is recruiting metro Detroit professionals to serve as volunteer career mentors in the 2024-25 school year. No experience is required. Applicants from a diverse range of industries, backgrounds, and experience are encouraged. Learn more and apply by July 31 online at WinningFutures.org.

Many high school students find themselves at a crossroads, unsure of which career path to pursue or how to navigate the complexities of college, trade school, or employment. Through an evidence-based curriculum and career mentorship, Winning Futures bridges this gap, helping students figure out what they’ll do after high school, teaching them important life and job readiness skills, and providing the guidance and support needed for success.

Career Mentors play a critical role in the Winning Futures program, coaching students as they progress through the curriculum while answering their questions and providing encouragement. All Career Mentors receive training before the program begins and ongoing support before, during, and after every learning session.

Learning sessions are conducted at participating schools during the school day and in a classroom with staff, teachers, students, and career mentors present. There are two or three one-hour learning sessions every month, from November through May. Participating schools are in Detroit, Harper Woods, Warren, Sterling Heights, and Pontiac.

The post DBusiness Daily Update: Report: Customer Satisfaction with Airlines Reaches All-time High, and More appeared first on DBusiness Magazine .