Well…not really but I couldn’t help using it as a subject.
I actually was given EXTROIDINARY service from their repair department.
I have a 1970’s vintage CFOII that I recently resurrected from retirement and I noticed it was missing a reel foot screw. I e-mailed Orvis and got a response in about 2 hours that they could provide me with some replacement screws.
A few days later a guy called me at HOME on a Sunday night to confirm which reel I had and in a day or two via UPS letter pack I received the three screws I asked for at NO CHARGE.
Pretty incredible in this day of lousy service from the bigger companies.
PLEASE don’t turn this into an Orvis bashing thread!
I’ve had Orvis rods and reels for the nine years I’ve been fly fishing and have had excellent service and customer relations. You call, respectfully explain and they bend over backwards to help you. And, the great thing about it is, you don’t have to send them $50 just to tell you they can’t do anything for you, or it will cost you $175 for the repair!!!
I probably have half a dozen Orvis rods or one sort or another and a couple of their reels. There are better - but then again - there are far far worse. I’ve always been satisfied with them - but then this is another one of those opinion things.
I’m glad you received good service from Orvis. I’ve always heard good things about them, especially their bamboo rod repair department. I had a similar experience with Sage a couple of years ago. I lost the small plastic cap that covers the the spindle nut on the back of my Sage 505 reel. I called my buddy at the fly shop and he said he didn’t have any but he gave the number he uses for Sage repairs.
I called them and explained who I was and how I got the number and asked if they had any of the caps? I was told to wait a minute and when the woman returned she said she had 3 left and I was welcome to all of them. I received them for free a couple of days later. Good thing she sent all three because I already lost the first one. I put a dab of Super Glue on the next one and it’s still attached 3 years later.
I had an interesting deal with Orvis not too long ago. My wife bought me the Orvis Wheatley fly box (with the sixteen compartments and 58 clips). In the catalog is was about $100. When she called to order it they said that they didn’t have the one in the catalog any more (this was Christmas time). But they had another one, just like it, but it was $134. It was left over stock from an earlier promotational deal. She said that would be fine (bless her heart). So she got the box. On Christmas day I opened it and was so happy. Beautiful fly box and I love it dearly. However, when I found out that they had charged her nearly $40 more than the list price I called them and spoke with customer service. Spoke to a very nice lady who looked into the situation and, within one week, they had refunded the difference with their apologies for the confusion.
I thought that was a pretty fair way to do business, so I had no further complaints.
I have to add a couple of short stories from an employee’s view.
Had a customer come down from Montana complaining his WOODEN lawn furniture was falling apart.
The manager Scott told him to bring it in and we would reorder or refund (as told to do by Corporate)
I help bring it in, and I asked him…“Where do you put this furniture in the winter?” He replied “I leave it out all year…it’s outside furniture”. I then asked “Did you think to cover it, it is wood”? He said, “No, it said outside so I thought it could take it”. We refunded over $1,500. to this idiot.
Another gentlemen brought in a fleece lined denim shirt that looked to be years worn and old. The button holes were all stretched out and it had a hole in the front. He complained that it didn’t stay buttoned anymore…He got a new one.
Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’ll get and which one has a NUT in it.
Bambozle,
]
Great to hear this about Orvis service. After posting awhile back complaining about all of the major rod manufacturers dictating what we need in fly rod design I ordered an Orvis Zero Gravity 6wt. Well, I came home one night about 11pm, fighting the traffic from O’Hare all the way, and couldn’t wait to open the package to look at my new rod. To my displeasure the cork grip was full of filler (water soluable) and I sent the rod back, with my name engraved on it by Orvis for an extra $45.00. I am waiting to see what they are going to do, I fully expect them to replace the rod. Will post the results when I hear from Orvis. I have six other Orvis rods and have had nothing but good luck. I have also had excellent service out of their reel repair department. [/size]
I lost a strap off of my flippers while tubing in Colorado last summer.Called Orvis to buy another srap and was told they would not sell me a strap but would send me a new set of flippers at no charge,and they did.They wanted me to mail my old ones back,which I did.I thought they were more than fair with me,and I dont have hardley any Orvis products.Seem like a good company to me.
Gotta love that blue hair eh!
As far as the other misunderstandings at Orvis. Again, I was just an employee and I was told what I could or couldn’t do. When we were in the process of closing the store with all the BIG GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE. The Store Manager told me to NOT sell the rods, reels and gear bags at sale price, that we were to send them to another store. No problem, that made sence. But, then the Fishing manager told me to sale one of the combos to a customer for 50% right after I told the customer that the rods, ect. were not to be sold at a discount.
So, you see, it all depends on how high up the ladder you are. By the way, I still got my a$$ chewed for that one. I bit the bullet and took the blame.
This is OT - sorry - but I don’t know where else to ask.
I’m befuddled. (Nothing new)
That guitar(?) looks like it has five strings. I thought guitars had six strings and basses had four. Please enlighten me.
Thanks.
Ah-HAH!!!
I’ll bet it can really growl. When it’s that low does it become a percussion rather than a stringed instrument? No need to reply to that one.
Thanks very much for the enlightenment.
No kidding. Maybe I should clarify, spit soluable. I wet my thumb and rubbed the filler and it started to loosen up. What made me try that was that it looked just like the latex wood filler I use in woodworking. I just recieved notice from Orvis that the new rod is at the house. We are in Kentucky visiting the kids for Easter, can’t wait to see what they shipped this time when I get back home.
I had a feeling you would be happy. I bought one of the first T3’s and like you, I felt that for the top of the line rod, the cork could be better. I did the same thing (during the winter so I wouldn’t miss it LOL) and it came back beautiful.
Right on! Glad you are happy. Now go use it! 8)
