I look at the statement as not good or bad, just a statement of truth. There is no such thing as shrink-wrapped enterprise software. I've worked with at enterprise software organizations where the customer does their own custom modifications and tries to politically lobby us to get them baselined (and take ownership).

Modifications form a lucrative and essential part of enterprise software, judging by what my co-workers and friends at other companies were billed out at an hourly basis (the consultant was always paid a mere fraction of the $100-$200/hr). Sometimes I wonder if paying for expensive consultants wasn't just a CYA-move by the client ("look, I hired the company to consult directly")