Grifols Biomat USA - Plasma Donation Center — Local services in Bellflower

Up and until about three weeks ago, this place was great! They were efficient, the staff was great, they got you in and out quickly.

But…

Then about three weeks ago they got different machines and it has been nothing short of a disaster! These machines are NOT PROPERLY CALIBRATED! They get stuck in error loops between withdrawal and return. And instead of dealing with the machines, the staff simply tells the donor to squeeze harder, which does NOT reset the machine. And no matter how I complain about these machines, of the possible 6 donations since they arrived, I’ve only successfully donated 3 times. The rest is an exercise is denial and frustration.

Today was another one of those days. I was placed on a machine I have seen others have problems with. But, my hemocrit levels were at a 47 which is good and I hoped it wouldn’t be a problem. I was wrong. First, these was a new phlebotomist I had never seen before. She really didn’t seem interested in the job or me. She came across as rude, short and condescending. Which is not typical for this location. Usually they are very good. But, I get the impression these machines are taking their toll on the staff as well. She did not set a good needle and as such…

At 18% the machine froze up. I was blamed for not pumping. When I asked to have the needle reset it was big drama! How dare I ask to have the needle reset. The machine was showing no flow and it clearly was MY FAULT! Wrong answer! The lead phlebotomist came over, reset the needle, it failed to withdraw again. And honestly, it could have been that the needle was now clogged because they took SO LONG to deal with it. The excuses started up again. I’m done with the excuses.

I was 24 donations without a single issue at this exact location. Didn’t require a restick even once. 3 out of 6 failed. 4 out of 6 required a restick. It’s the machines! And here’s where it gets REALLY scary. The staff here, especially the management staff is spending all of their time deflecting and blaming others. They won’t admit it is their machines and as such, they aren’t dealing with the issue. What kind of a company culture does this? Since when is covering up problems a way to solve problems? For me, this is a HUGE RED FLAG! There is no reason why this staff shouldn’t be vocal to corporate with these machines. They should be screaming at them. Their donation times have cratered. I NEVER hear them discuss average times anymore. And when you call out the machines for the problem they obviously are, all I get are excuses and deflection. Oh, and they only keep about half the staff as before so they have several bays with machines that no one uses now…

I’ve called their corporate offices. Until they call me back and can assure me they are going to fix this, I’m NOT going back! Blaming the donors for faulty machines gets you nowhere!

Oh… can someone from this company explain to me why your answering machine for your corporate offices sounds like you are calling the far side of the moon? Does no one pay attention anymore?!?

A week has passed and I’ve still not spoken to anyone from corporate. They know there is a problem but they simply are too busy to return my calls… like this is some sort...

Money is not what should be your only reason of going, being a donor should feel exciting but their main concern here is making you feel less of that once your (left without the) new donor fees are up, the staff here operates like children given needles because the pressure is left of the workers as long as they have an significant amount of donors. Overall if money is a high priority, your left with nothing but a donation that feels nothing to be rewarding(25,35 fees). Unless your poor..and as of any staff, all morale feels out the window once left to themselves and the long hours of the employees start to implement and are becoming of concern to the donor when donating(Day to night basis). Dont come here if you have any sense of feeling better with what your doing because once you get the returning donor fees, there is nothing of a pleasurable experience by any means because the morale is pretty low of a standard here from new workers to present, everything isnt operating at a high demand or a need of the donor only to feel of a remarkable experience especially when it is painful. Everytime ive left im left with it could be better or i could be thanked for taking time of my day and if it was better i could make recommendations outside and inside to the people of my liking and have schedules that suit me and make any thoughtful request but the service here is out without a thought to the donor will have a tendency to lack from future walks when walking in and walking out of those "donor" doors.If money is an issue, ill happily remain with my time and lack of money thank you.. for hoping to be open to any kind of experience/service of my own to just be left with any thought of bad experience here is unacceptable Service here 2.0 out of 5 Encoragment isnt there strong suit, im left with no (good, uplifting) experince with my gear or years i wish to have kept making here. Hope it will be a better place for your donation, because time isnt always money. Time and money should be less of a concern for a place like this. It should be a wholesome experience but its more of a defecit of any...

Thursday June 11th 2015 at 4:16pm I singed my name on the clip and sat down waiting for my name to be called. people that signed in after me had there name called for them to input there information into the kios. I've Been waiting for my name to be called for me to input my information into the Kios my file was put back on the shelve....they claim that they called my name 4 times. I waited for 2 an a half hours and my name was never called until I mentioned that, I've been here waiting for two hours and these things always happen to me all the time I did not start donating until 630pm. every time I go there to donate I always feel bad intentions and I feel that I'm being discriminated dued to retaliation I complain to the manager Name Michael about situations with how the nurses treat me when I come up ther to donate plasma and explain to him about a past situation with the nurses working there. this has been happening to me numerous times every Thursday. I was the last person there to donate.Ending of my donation time was at 8:04 pm. after the nurse took the needle out of my arm, she did not properly put the bandage on my arm. I say that because when I went to the bathroom, I discovered that lots of blood was pooring out of my arm and all over my work cloths I took pictures of me bleeding non stop and I started to feel very dizzy and blood was everywhere leaking out of my arm very heavy.the nurse that bandage my arm, ignored me and did not do anything about it she just kept cleaning up so she can close. she did not apologize for it at all. she kept going back to the nurse whispering to the other nurse that put my file back on the shelve when I signed earlier at 4:16pm. another nurse cleaned me up and I went home still bleeding after I have been cleaned up. the point that I'm getting here is that I've been mistreated and discriminated by the nurses...