Well put and exactly what I tell clueless clients.  No surprise that my best/favorite clients are all local title companies!  They get it.

But not ALL vendor managers "are too far removed from the search process."  A few us search as well as order process.  (Myself, of course, and I know Wanda over at AccuSearch does too.)  It makes a huge difference and I know it's why some of the most experienced abstractors in Michigan continue to accept work from me at prices below what they charge everyone else ... and believe me, I appreciate them every single day and do my best not to send them stupid questions from clueless clients.