Is A La Mode Getting Desperate?

[Wayne Henry]

I received a newsletter today from a la mode. I usually receive various emails from them because I use them for my webpage but still use ACI for my software appraisals needs. This newsletter today bothered me, one statement in particular I took issue with.


Quote:

"And we say "yet again" because this is a familiar story – over many years, both ACI and Bradford have failed to invest the time and money it takes to develop and maintain mobile tools completely in-house. So, more than once, they've each fallen back to a third party program as a mobile solution. And more than once, it's failed. Miserably."


This is false and they should retract the statement immediately. Promotions are one thing, but inaccurate newsletters are another. ACI has ACI Sky which is a web based tool, not sure if this newsletter is entirely accurate or just propaganda.


Is there a stock issue? they seem to be more aggressive than ever to secure my switch. It is borderline annoying at this point. Do they want a monopoly on the industry? I for one hate monopolies and we get some of the best innovations through competition. I am not sure who has what percentage of the market but I am pro a diverse variety of software vendors creating different platforms. Funny, I never saw a ACI newsletter disparaging A la mode. But this could be because I have used there software for over a decade and I am not a potential customer. The newsletters I receive from ACI are positive ones outlining what new updates they have created.


I understand there are a lot of appraisers that use Wintotal and will never change. Heck, I used Wintotal starting out because my supervisor used Wintotal. I made the change within a year or so after starting my own practice because my client preferred ACI format and stated they would give me more business if I made the change. I never looked back since. I also notice that most of the clients I work with "prefer" ACI files or even use ACI sky for delivery. I do not recall ever noticing a client in over a decade requesting a Wintotal file format. Not a knock, I am simply wondering why.


I am pretty close to calling my rep at the mode and telling him to take me off of there list. I do not wish to be in the middle of there sales war. This is getting ridiculous.

 

[dbiggers]

Stock issue? Desperate? That's hilarious, since I just sold Mercury in an all cash sale for more than I'll ever need. More than the other companies are worth in their entirety. ;-)

No, to the contrary, we're simply not going to let sloppy competitors off the hook any more.

Find for me the actual inaccurate statement in anything we said, much less the section you quote. It's brutal, but it's accurate and truthful. In this case, the truth hurts.

They've been taking the easy way out, and guess who pays for it? You. I'm not going to let that keep happening.

Ever wonder why a lender or AMC may prefer an ACI file? Think.

 

[Wayne Henry]

Stock issue? Desperate? That's hilarious, since I just sold Mercury in an all cash sale for more than I'll ever need. More than the other companies are worth in their entirety. ;-)

No, to the contrary, we're simply not going to let sloppy competitors off the hook any more.

Find for me the actual inaccurate statement in anything we said, much less the section you quote. It's brutal, but it's accurate and truthful. In this case, the truth hurts.

They've been taking the easy way out, and guess who pays for it? You. I'm not going to let that keep happening.

Ever wonder why a lender or AMC may prefer an ACI file? Think.

I am glad that you were able to sell your company and that your happy, but that has nothing to do with a la mode (not mercury) stating ACI did not have an in-house mobile application when they have ACI Sky. Again, is ACI Sky not a mobile appraising approach? I use it on my web browser, on my tablet in my car. That's mobile. Why do you need a app or external software when you can complete a report directly online. Seems better to me. Again, I am no ACI fan boy, just use them right now. I like what Wintotal is doing but I do not believe they need to send negative newsletters similar to the one emailed today. It's just not right. A company should be able to prop themselves up by way of showing what they have without tearing another company down. Just opinion. If they want to go down that rabbit hole, that is there right and there business decision.

 

[Tom Woolford]

Just out of curiosity Wayne, How big a data plan do you need to use "Sky" in the field. Total mobile doesn't require any if you don't want to use it that way, which I don't.

 

[dbiggers]

I am glad that you were able to sell your company and that your happy, but that has nothing to do with a la mode (not mercury) stating ACI did not have an in-house mobile application when they have ACI Sky. Again, is ACI Sky not a mobile appraising approach? I use it on my web browser, on my tablet in my car. That's mobile. Why do you need a app or external software when you can complete a report directly online. Seems better to me. Again, I am no ACI fan boy, just use them right now. I like what Wintotal is doing but I do not believe they need to send negative newsletters similar to the one emailed today. It's just not right. A company should be able to prop themselves up by way of showing what they have without tearing another company down. Just opinion. If they want to go down that rabbit hole, that is there right and there business decision.

You do realize that a web page or two is not a mobile program, right? And you also realize that we dealt with that very objection in that memo, right (read the last part)? And you also realize that you never answered the question of what, exactly, was inaccurate in that memo, much less the section you hated to see, right?

The simple fact is that both ACI and Bradford have done exactly as we outlined -- they've side-stepped the heavy lifting using a third party to claim they have a real mobile app for the various platforms. And those third parties have (repeatedly) failed, leaving ACI and Bradford users in a very bad spot.

Come to me with something that refutes that history and we'll talk. Otherwise, it's all empty wishing. I too wish they did a better job. But they haven't. They've stranded appraisers over and over. That's on them, not on appraisers, and certainly not on us.

It sucks to have a history that sucks. But it is what it is.

 

[EddieB]

Thought I'd link this thread here.....

http://appraisersforum.com/forums/t...-thoughts-likes-dislikes.211114/#post-2664369

 

[Eli]

I like alamode. I don't think desperate is a good word to describe them. Dbiggers has constantly supported the side of individual appraisers for years. He has always said he knows that is his bread and butter and not only that........ I think he seems to be a very ethical type person. I remember how easy they made the UAD transition. They have my support. I am also pretty sure he is working behind the scenes for appraisers with others that we have no idea about.

 

[Flakey]

Wayne, get ready for the smack down. You have criticized and will be deemed "grumpy".

 

[Joe Flacco]

Dave - let me get a a la mode t-shirt. I need medium.

 

[RustyTapeMeasure]

I for one hope you do not become a monopoly software owner. I have never heard the other software companies berate and talk down Alamode.

You do realize that a web page or two is not a mobile program, right? And you also realize that we dealt with that very objection in that memo, right (read the last part)? And you also realize that you never answered the question of what, exactly, was inaccurate in that memo, much less the section you hated to see, right?

The simple fact is that both ACI and Bradford have done exactly as we outlined -- they've side-stepped the heavy lifting using a third party to claim they have a real mobile app for the various platforms. And those third parties have (repeatedly) failed, leaving ACI and Bradford users in a very bad spot.

Come to me with something that refutes that history and we'll talk. Otherwise, it's all empty wishing. I too wish they did a better job. But they haven't. They've stranded appraisers over and over. That's on them, not on appraisers, and certainly not on us.

It sucks to have a history that sucks. But it is what it is.