User Reviews
Online Alumni & Membership Communities by Alumni Channel
USER REVIEWS - All reviews
Purchased Date: March 01, 2010
National VP Midwest Region, Phi Gamma Nu
June 29, 2011
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Pros
great customer service, easy to use
Cons
it would be nice if there were a cleaner, less cluttered interface
Overall
I would recommend this to other groups in our position.
Purchased Date: October 01, 2009
Manager of Development Operations, St. Joseph High School
June 29, 2011
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Pros
The customer support is wonderful! Chris is VERY helpful! The site contiues to bring in the use of new technology (facebook, live customer support chats, ect.) which is crucial!
Cons
The ease of using the writer for email blasts/news posting is somewhat difficult because it does not read microsoft.
With some further training with all the site has to offer, I feel this site is certainly meeting our needs.
Overall
I like the overall feel of the site, but would like some additionally training as new options become available (and refreshers for existing ones).
Thank you! :)
Purchased Date: September 01, 2005
Principal, Our Lady of Mercy Academy
June 29, 2011
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Pros
I find the alum channel very easy to use. I know when someone new signs on so that I can send a quick welcome and give a bit of present news. I am very happy with the product.
Cons
At first it seems complex but after reading some of the helps it becomes a breeze.
Overall
Superb! Easy to use! Serves its purpose well.
Purchased Date: April 01, 2010
Head of Career Services & Alumni, IMI University Centre
March 23, 2011
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Pros
Fast implementation of personalised changes.
Excellent customer service
The platform is easy to use
Excellent tool for our needs and our Alumni community
Several interesting features.
Cons
None thus far
Overall
I have no hesitation recommending the Alumni Channel to other educational establishments. Chris has been excellent working with us individually to design a site that suits our needs.
Purchased Date: May 01, 2009
Webmaster and Software Engineer, Webb Institute
March 18, 2011
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Pros
Many of the pros of the system are its ease of use, customizable databases and interfaces, meet the needs of end users on all computer levels, and feature an ever changing list of enhancements that try improving the system; while maintaining superior customer service.
Cons
I to date have seen no cons with Alumni Channel.
Overall
There is perhaps no greater challenge in a fast-growing organization, than finding great organizations capable of ensuring success. We encountered just such a challenge at Webb Institute.
I was tasked with finding brilliant minds and passionate hearts to help our organization serve our growing thousands of faculty, students, administration, alumni and parents. Alumni Channel has both, and was a perfect fit in our time of greatest need. They are a consummate team-player; positive, upbeat and fun, focused and capable, innovative with ideas and always open to improving the status-quo.
When tasked with reinventing everything the organization knew about virtual and online properties-- they came through in a big way. Alumni Channel researched and implemented industry best-practices, reworked and reconfigured our areas of opportunity, and creatively remastered our virtual world--all while keeping the organization's mission as the central focus.
Purchased Date: January 01, 2010
IMI Philippine Representative, IMI University Centre
March 18, 2011
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Pros
It's relatively young and has room to grow. Customer support is always present and willing to make adjustments in order to accommodate the needs of the client.
Prices are not overly expensive and you get your money's worth apart from being able to speak on a level with Mr. Gehringer who is always friendly and willing to be of assistance.
The supporting material is always there, such as the manuals and even an alumni plan to help clients get started towards successful alumni community developments.
Cons
Mr. Gehringer does not have enough hands and heads. (that's a joke)
Overall
If your looking for the kind of customer support which puts you on a down to earth level between provider and client, then I highly recommend Alumni Channel.
At the end of the day, you want someone to be there when something goes wrong, nothing has gone wrong so far and I would say that is mainly due to the fact that Mr. Gehringer has always been there to make sure things run smooth even before I have to ask.
Yours truly
Jove Schrottmann
IMI University Centre
Purchased Date: November 01, 2008
Director of Advancement and Alumni Affairs, Holy Trinity Diocesan High School
May 18, 2010
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Pros
Very user friendly. Great value for price. Excellent personal customer service.
Cons
Not as flexible as if you had built your own website...but the pros far out-weigh and cons.
Overall
We needed a new alumni website that was user friendly. We were recommneded to them by another school and they far exceeded our expectations with service, quality and price.
Purchased Date: February 01, 2009
Alumni & Development Director, Holy Family School
May 17, 2010
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Pros
Almost instantly up and running
Easy registration process
Easy updating/uploading tools
Rich graphics and layout
User friendly for multi-access/admin
Email campaigns and selective broadcasts to groups very useful
Support for questions/custimization of your site is excellent.
Links to other social media is available for each user.
Registered vs. non-registered home page & links provide privacy.
Metrics for admin to track user site access is great.
Cons
None. Met our needs at this time completely.
Overall
Highly recommended to any organization looking for a "home" for its users. Communication tools and registraton process is excellent.
Purchased Date: August 01, 2009
Human Resource Manage, Variosystems, Inc.
May 13, 2010
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Pros
Easy to use
Template makes starting up the website quick
Cons
Customization is somewhat limited
Overall
I would recommend Alumni Channel for organizations who want to increase communication between members.
Purchased Date: October 01, 2008
Assistant to the Director of OIA, Mater Dei Catholic High School
May 13, 2010
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Pros
The profile section is good with all the links available. Our rep is good about helping answer alumni questions and using the product.
Cons
I think is it difficult for alumni to put photos, etc. on the website. Actually, they are not that easy for me to add either. The time it takes to pull up the map or whatever it is online is too long. I think the administrator functions could be more user friendly.
Overall
The product is fine if the administrator has time to be on the site.
> Vendor Responses
05/26/2010 by Alumni Channel
Purchased Date: November 01, 2008
Director of Development & Special Events, St. Bernard's CCHS
May 13, 2010
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Pros
Finding information is easy.
Cons
Have problem exporting individual classes to excel - doesn't work.
Overall
As admin would like to have an easier way to edit someone's profile
> Vendor Responses
05/17/2010 by Alumni Channel
Purchased Date: May 01, 2007
Teacher, Howard County Public School System
May 13, 2010
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Pros
Operator is very involved, has good recommendations to create a successful alumni site, keeps on top of things. Implementation of requested features happens relatively quickly.
The service does work to create a community.
Cons
Site has the features, but it feels like it is strapped together, as opposed to having a unified interface. This may only be a con for those looking for an "iPhone"-style interface for making the website.
No way to easily re-design the site, but I'm sure it would be added if asked (I haven't asked yet).
Overall
Recommended if you are somewhat web-savvy, and don't mind using that knowledge to get things going.
Bottom line, the service works to create a community. If that is your end goal, alumnichannel.com will do it.
Purchased Date: N/A
Executive Assistant and Event Coordinator, St. Joseph High School
April 07, 2010
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Pros
Easy to use.
Cons
Would like to be able to add a link from the upcoming event section.
Overall
Definately reccommend
Purchased Date: October 01, 2009
Vice President Deveopment, St. Joseph High School
April 07, 2010
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Pros
The Alumni Network is an excellent vehicle for interactive communication with alumni. Alumni have the availablity to link to Facebook or Twitter as well as email within the online alumni community. Wonderful asset to have in preparation for celebrating our 50th anniversary...engages alumni.
Cons
Their is some transition to implementation/usage...with picture storage/retrieval, etc. The Alumni Channel has wonderful support in place and is accessible when needed.
Overall
I absolutely recommend this product. In today's technological world, it is vital to provide this online community outreach to alumni.
Purchased Date: N/A
Online Community Manager, Sullivan University System
March 02, 2010
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Pros
Chris has been quick to respond to requests for adaptations/customization to the sites and most of the requests for customization were fulfilled. The simple and easy to use system allows me to quickly upload news and other information. The layout makes it easy for users to find new information.
Cons
With 3 different sites to manage, I find the slightly different formats used for storing/reporting alumni data make end of month reports more difficult than they should be.
I would prefer to have the data in a MySQL compatible format that could allow for e-commerce and similar operations.
The current layout leaves quite a bit of information below the fold. especially if there are expanded entries in column one.
When I have asked colleagues to navigate the page, none have navigated below the fold far enough to see past the maps section without prompting.
It would be nice to have greater feedback of usage patterns such as browsing sessions, heat maps, and deeper link analytics.
It would be nice if the page creator utilized style sheets to maintain a consistent look when information needs to be moved off the main page (because of length, tracking, etc) on to a new web page.
Overall
The site is simple and easy to use with a quick learning curve. I think it works great and would highly recommend the site for those that don't have IT creatives on-hand to manage and maintain their own website.
Service from the staff is exceptional. Helpful responses come quickly to questions, concerns and requests.
Purchased Date: July 01, 2007
webmaster, Leesville High School Alumni Association
January 21, 2010
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Pros
It is user friendly for both the moderator and the members. The cost is very reasonable for the product received. The support is excellent. Technical questions are answered promptly. Contact is maintained. We have received a lot of positive feedback from our members regarding the website.
Cons
I have not found any cons yet.
Overall
I have been very pleased with the product and recommend it to other perspective clients.
Purchased Date: August 01, 2008
Owner, Results First Consulting
January 20, 2010
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Pros
Easy to get started
Easy to use
Cons
Slow to integrate social networking
Inflexible GUI layout
Overall
Great software for anyone that want to stay in touch with an alumni group.
Purchased Date: June 01, 2008
Co-founder/Site Administrator, East Paterson/Elmwood Park United Alumni Assoc
January 19, 2010
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Pros
The Alumni channel has been a pleasure to deal with from the first day we contacted them. Continually updated and improving features. Always open communication and the best customer support I have ever had.
Cons
Absolutely none.
Overall
100%, would recommend highly.
Purchased Date: October 01, 2007
Principal, MakStar
January 19, 2010
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Pros
Founding an alumni network for my high school was a piece of cake because of Alumni Channel's product and service. While I had a background in graphic and web design, pratically none of my expertise was needed from a design perspective. Nearly everything was automated and populating the system with members, content, and event info. was a cinch. Alumni Channel's services are pretty basic, but the number of features provided are pretty mind-blowing even to a designer such as myself. Personally, I bet I'm only taking advantage of 20% of the features provided and more are added each quarter. The customer service is fantastic; I don't know of another service that provides such excellent support and transparency. We secured over 1200 members within two years - all based on word of mouth marketing and Alumni Channel's excellent products.
Cons
There is nothing I can think of that comes to mind about any flaws or constraints with regard to Alumni Channel. Perhaps if I had the chance to take advantage of all the features, I could come up with something that as missing. However, from my experience, based on the needs of my alumni network, there are no issues I can think of at this time.
Overall
While there are plenty of competitors in the current market for alumni and membership groups, I wouldn't recommend any other than Alumni Channel. The products and services offered, features and benefits, and excellent customer service and support - combined with extremely reasonable price points will be the reason that my alumni network will continue doing business with AC for many years to come. Finally, with a very generous referral program, alumni and membership group leaders can run their networks virtually for free by promoting the power and potential of Alumni Channel.
Purchased Date: April 01, 2009
Web Developer, Edmonton Catholic School District
January 13, 2010
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Pros
Alumni Channel provides a robust social network platform for schools wishing to deploy an alumni presence. For our site specifically, they provided a custom setup within days of initial contact which.
Support time for technical or other issues is less than 24 hours.
Cons
A lot of the platforms functionality is built into the core application which from what I understand makes it difficult to make certain changes.
Overall
If you're looking for an alumni site for your organization, this is the best product out there.
> Vendor Responses
01/25/2010 by Alumni Channel
Purchased Date: January 01, 2002
Director of Alumni Relations, Lenape Regional High School District
August 02, 2009
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Pros
We were one of their first customers, starting with one website and growing to four. Prompt, personal service is one of their hallmarks. They are pro-active in dealing with us and don't wait for us to request services, but prod us to do more with the services they offer. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to operate a worry-free website.
Cons
If there's any "con" it is with us not availing ourselves of their many services, thus making it an ideal company for the organization that doesn't have the personnel to manage their own site.
Overall
What I like most about the Alumni Channel is that they never rest on their laurels. They are constantly offering fresh ideas to help our organization meet its objectives. They are constantly sharing "best practices" to give us great ideas for dealing with our constituency and for keeping our alumni connected. I couldn't ask for a better company to help us maintain the quality service we pride ourselves in delivering to our alumni.
Purchased Date: June 01, 2008
Communications Coordinator, FCCLA
April 27, 2009
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Pros
It is extremely user-friendly. If I can't figure something out on my own (which I usually can by referencing the manual) Chris has always been available to assist me with updates and questions. The "search by state" feature is a big hit round these parts. Thank you for making the effort to customize our site to fit FCCLA's needs.
Cons
Not being able to upload very large documents. I dislike making Chris take time to do this for me.
Overall
The A&A website really is a great way for our members to connect. Several alumni have reunited through this medium.
Purchased Date: August 01, 2008
Director of Advancement, Mater Dei High School
April 23, 2009
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Pros
Company is a pleasure to work with - they respond quickly to problems, questions, etc. Customer service support is amazing. Product works well, and we have received many compliments on how easy it is for alumni to use.
Cons
Sometimes takes more effort than anticipated to make updates and changes. As an example, I haven't changed / deleted any of the photographs on our alumni site because I haven't had the time to figure it out. Wish that part was a bit simpler. We also need to take more advantage of the product's tools and become more efficient in using them.
Overall
Would recommend to anyone trying to build an alumni program.
Purchased Date: August 01, 2008
Director of Development, Oklahoma Christian School
April 22, 2009
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Pros
Oklahoma Christian School
Cons
Oklahoma Christian School
Overall
Oklahoma Christian School
Purchased Date: November 01, 2008
President, ShaveFX
April 21, 2009
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Pros
Customer support and customization. They have been extremely helpful in working with us in set-up, customization of website features, pricing structure, and all aspects of supporting the product. And the site features are exactly what we need for an alumni communication center. Couldn't ask for a better set-up or a more responsive support situation.
Cons
None, really. The only Con that comes to mind is that the product advertiser that is the default on the site is nowhere near as responsive and got or name wrong for a long time. Their loss, as no alumni would buy a product with an incorrect name on it.
Overall
Any academic group seeking to create a web presence for their alumni or members should go with Alumni Channel. There are some other similar sites out there, and they either offer a similar level of service for an overinflated price, or they force alumni to pay for every little feature and drive them away. Alumni Channel is the perfect package at the right price. Sounds like an ad campaign, but it's really how we feel about it.
Purchased Date: October 01, 2008
Director of Development, DeSales High School
April 21, 2009
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Pros
Very user friendly, fantastic customer support/ response time, software features, discussion boards, click and pledge feature, view finder...475 users w daily registrants...good activity from alums, 5 stars in every category!
Cons
none at this time
Overall
5 star ratings in every category, highly value this product/service
Purchased Date: August 01, 2006
Web admin, MASAlumni
March 19, 2009
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Pros
Great set of features and easy to manage.
Cons
Could use integration with a photo album software.
Overall
Greatly recommended to reconnect alumni organizations.
Purchased Date: November 01, 2008
Executive Director, West Windsor-Plainsboro Education Foundation
March 19, 2009
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Pros
Alumni Channel has enabled us to identify and engage our alumni in ways that we never had before. The customer support is fantastic.
Cons
There are no cons or negatives.
Overall
I highly recommend Alumni Channel for alumni interactive communities/websites.
Purchased Date: January 01, 2008
Community Relations, BCIT
March 19, 2009
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Pros
Great site...great support...the community has responded very well to the site. The stie can support a lot of features the alumni find interesting and informative.
Cons
I wish I had more time to devote to developing the site.
Overall
I would recommend the Alumni Channel to any school or group that would like to reach out to their community !
