Just thought I'd add my experiences with CVA customer service.
In the last 4+ years I've come to own 3 CVA products, a "V1 (2010/11)" Optima, a first run Accura MR (tan metal coating) and an Apex with a 45-70 (SML now) barrel.
I just received via UPS today a non-QRPB .50 cal Apex barrel order.
I've been pretty happy with the CVA products I've had. They're unbelievably accurate, easy to maintain and priced very, very reasonably.
Like many here, I like to tinker and "trick out" the guns so I have had lots of contact with CVA ordering different parts, accessories and asking questions.
I will say that their response to their email is not always timely.
However, whenever I have called them, and yes, sometimes you have to wait a while on hold, especially in the hunting season and holidays, I always get someone who seems knowledgable, listens to my questions, etc. and usually spends plenty of time with me.
If I have one peeve, about 20-25% of the time, something in the the order they sent me is not correct.
Always upon contacting them about it, they have made it right, told me to keep the other items and done it at no cost and shipped out to me ASAP.
For example, a week ago today I called to order the Apex non-QRBP .50 cal barrel, it's a great deal for $39. (I mean $39 for an interchangable barrel!!
)
While on the call I mentioned that I would need an Apex muzzleloader forearm for the barrel, but that the last time I had ordered a forearm they sent the wrong one (which when I called them, they promptly resent the correct full contour forearm and told me to keep the other "regular" contour forearm) so I asked him to make sure they sent the correct one.
At that point he said, "I'm sorry you had a problem with the last one, we'll include this one free for the inconvenience". I told him that they already resolved the previous issue to my satisfaction by sending me another forearm "free" (which I will now use on the Apex .223 barrel I plan to buy) but he sent the new one "free" anyway.
THANKS!
Then I asked if I could get a spare breechplug for the new barrel because I was concerned that with the new barrels being mostly QRPB models, some day I might not be able to get a non-QRBP.
He assured me they would always have them, as many CVAs use the same BP, and that I didn't have to worry.
OK, so I didn't order one.
When the package came today, he had thrown an extra one in for free.
ALSO, I had them ship to my "secondary" address up in the very rural north woods of Wisconsin and the package got here in good shape and within a week and I get lots of mail, etc. that gets "lost" or takes forever coming up here.
I've had a lot of experience with customer service departments since in my career I had overall responsibility for several of them as part of my "other" job duties, and it's not always easy to make everyone happy since sometimes things will just happen.
In general I have to say that I've been pretty pleased with the CVA customer service and their willingness to make things right if there has been a problem.
I own one other muzzleloader and the customer service at that big name company is almost non-existant.
I'm not trying to be a cheerleader for CVA, they're not perfect and I know everyone's experience is different, but I have to say so far I've been pretty happy with their efforts.
I have occasionally seen the company President, Dudley McGarity and/or VP Mark Hendricks get on email/the Internet and resolve problems, etc.
You don't see that from many other companies. (and before you say other companies don't have to, there's not a company out there that doesn't have some issues at some point)
Just
In the last 4+ years I've come to own 3 CVA products, a "V1 (2010/11)" Optima, a first run Accura MR (tan metal coating) and an Apex with a 45-70 (SML now) barrel.
I just received via UPS today a non-QRPB .50 cal Apex barrel order.
I've been pretty happy with the CVA products I've had. They're unbelievably accurate, easy to maintain and priced very, very reasonably.
Like many here, I like to tinker and "trick out" the guns so I have had lots of contact with CVA ordering different parts, accessories and asking questions.
I will say that their response to their email is not always timely.
However, whenever I have called them, and yes, sometimes you have to wait a while on hold, especially in the hunting season and holidays, I always get someone who seems knowledgable, listens to my questions, etc. and usually spends plenty of time with me.
If I have one peeve, about 20-25% of the time, something in the the order they sent me is not correct.
Always upon contacting them about it, they have made it right, told me to keep the other items and done it at no cost and shipped out to me ASAP.
For example, a week ago today I called to order the Apex non-QRBP .50 cal barrel, it's a great deal for $39. (I mean $39 for an interchangable barrel!!
While on the call I mentioned that I would need an Apex muzzleloader forearm for the barrel, but that the last time I had ordered a forearm they sent the wrong one (which when I called them, they promptly resent the correct full contour forearm and told me to keep the other "regular" contour forearm) so I asked him to make sure they sent the correct one.
At that point he said, "I'm sorry you had a problem with the last one, we'll include this one free for the inconvenience". I told him that they already resolved the previous issue to my satisfaction by sending me another forearm "free" (which I will now use on the Apex .223 barrel I plan to buy) but he sent the new one "free" anyway.
THANKS!
Then I asked if I could get a spare breechplug for the new barrel because I was concerned that with the new barrels being mostly QRPB models, some day I might not be able to get a non-QRBP.
He assured me they would always have them, as many CVAs use the same BP, and that I didn't have to worry.
OK, so I didn't order one.
When the package came today, he had thrown an extra one in for free.
ALSO, I had them ship to my "secondary" address up in the very rural north woods of Wisconsin and the package got here in good shape and within a week and I get lots of mail, etc. that gets "lost" or takes forever coming up here.
I've had a lot of experience with customer service departments since in my career I had overall responsibility for several of them as part of my "other" job duties, and it's not always easy to make everyone happy since sometimes things will just happen.
In general I have to say that I've been pretty pleased with the CVA customer service and their willingness to make things right if there has been a problem.
I own one other muzzleloader and the customer service at that big name company is almost non-existant.
I'm not trying to be a cheerleader for CVA, they're not perfect and I know everyone's experience is different, but I have to say so far I've been pretty happy with their efforts.
I have occasionally seen the company President, Dudley McGarity and/or VP Mark Hendricks get on email/the Internet and resolve problems, etc.
You don't see that from many other companies. (and before you say other companies don't have to, there's not a company out there that doesn't have some issues at some point)
Just
