I gave Brook Ledge (PA dispatch) 1 star so I could leave a review. I'd rather give them negative 1 star if I could!
I had spent A LOT of time researching horse transport companies (Bob Hubbard, American, Nationwide, Equine Express, etc etc). I liked all of the positive things I saw about Brook ledge. For peace of mind and good customer service, I didn't care that everyone said they were more expensive.
So, excited that I had finally made a decision and felt confident due to all of the reviews, I made the call to Brook Ledge. I initially called the Florida number ((800) 955-7654), but was told I needed to called the PA number instead. My horse needed transport from Del Mar, CA to Oregon so I didn't know which one to call.
I then called the Brook Ledge PA number ((800) 523-8143). I was given to dispatch. A man answered.
I told the man that I needed a horse transport quote, I told him the from and to info...I stated that I didn't know the exact date, but gave him the thereabouts. I also said I could be flexible if they were full.
The man (a Brook Ledge customer service professional) replied with, "The gal responsible for giving the quotes is next to me wit her brains splattered all over her desk. Give me your email hon and she can email you later on with the quote".
Annoyed at being referenced to as 'Hon', I was quickly trying to decipher what the Brook Ledge representative meant by: "...her brains are splattered all over her desk..."
Did that mean she has yet to have her morning coffee and is not functioning well? Was she overwhelmed by a busy morning of customers? Hung-over? Did she commit suicide?
I quickly pondered his explanation (what type of image pops into your mind if an important office service member is described in this fashion?)
I gave him my email address and told him I looked forward to the quote, but that the gal (with her brains splattered all over her desk) didn't have to rush for me. I had no urgency.
I proceeded to tell him that I was impressed with all of the reviews I had seen on their company. But, I did have one question in regards to something that concerned me.
He replied, "What hon?"
....I continued, "I was wondering if the company is aware of the video on YouTube that comes up when you Google Brooke Ledge Horse Transport Review?"
(***If any Yelp review readers want to see what I am talking about, click the YouTube link below or Google (copy paste) the following in your URL bar):
Badly weaving truck Brookledge Horse Vans YouTube
youtube.com/watch?v=uxpP...
(***If you watch this video, you will see a Brook Ledge truck full of horses driving on a highway as if they were drunk, or texting, or ? They swerve several times between two lanes and the highway shoulder. A driver behind them was horrified and took the video footage. Watch the whole thing.)
Anyway, I simply asked the Brook Ledge employee on the phone if they were aware of the video and if that driver is no longer working for the company.
....now, it is my assumption that the minimal standard basic customer service representative (dispatcher, secretary, employee, *insert any company worker title here* would reply something like: "Yes ma'm, we are aware of it and I can assure you that it is not representative of our company. We provide excellent safe service you can trust." .....Or something like that. A more simplistic and succinct answer would have sufficed as well (i.e.): "We fired that driver".
This Brook Ledge employee responded with the trashiest, most unprofessional answer. His answer in no way encouraged confidence, trust or class. I imagined this man to be a toothless, greasy haired gruff, uneducated and in the process of downing his 3rd Coors beer of the morning.
Maybe this is why the woman, his co-worker, had her brains splattered all over her desk? She works with an idiot. Homer Simpson has more smarts and class.
Basically, this man laughed and laughed. He babbled all sorts of trashy ridiculousness that just made himself and the company look worse. "Hon, we have over 200 drivers and we can't bother to care which one that was...." Hon, do you know how busy we are?" "Hon, do you think we can worry about that?" "Hon, have you heard about all the other companies out there? Do you think we care?... they are much worse...." On and on he went....
.....Ummmmm YES I would think that the owner of the company would care!!!!
I interrupted him and said, "Interesting that you think it's funny". Then, I hung up. Needless to say, I never received the email with the quote. Maybe the lady really did have her brains scattered all over the desk?
*I'd like to add here that I am sure that this company has excellent caring drivers. I am sure many transports go perfectly. I can only hope that this trashy idiot is NOT the norm for this company. Unfortunately, this was my experience - which ruined it for me forever. read more