UCLA Blood and Platelet Center — Local services in Los Angeles

NOTE: brought down my rating more after receiving a falsely sincere response asking I get in touch with them so they could address their flaws.

Not only did I follow up with a phone call asking to speak to the manager, but left a thorough voicemail. Seven days - and no one has bothered to call back. So clearly, Management does not care; worse, they’re wasting the time of the very folk that keep them employed - the same folk who are literally gifting blood to save lives. SHAME ON YOU; AND: what are you doing employing a manager who can’t be bothered to return calls to donors who have taken time to give blood to you? Completely disrespectful, unprofessional, quite frankly, bordering on unethical.

If you’re truly sincere and “committed to excellent service” – pick up the phone and call. Leonard knows who I am. You know who I am. You have my information. YOU call. I had given good reviews to this place a few years ago on yelp, but after my last experience, it must be noted the staff here were a complete failure; you have lost me as a donor.

A donation center of course is not a normal transactional business. It definitely puts the burden on the staff and faculty to do a great job if they wish folk to to take the time out of their life to literally donate a piece of themselves to help others.

So again, not your usual “business“.

This time around, I came on a Saturday, and you would’ve thought there was a fire in the building the way the staff were rushing me through the process. The gal at the front desk was Asian, petite and ”nice” but rude at the same time - bossy and sharp in how she was speaking to me (she’s getting paid; donors are NOT- yet she gave me a hard time and came off as arrogant) . At one point she ordered me to go outside and move my car a few inches.

Again : I’ve just driven 40 minutes to donate blood- you don’t wanna be given a hard time- if you’re giving up your Saturday afternoon to support others.

She gave me a form to fill out and apparently I didn’t fill the bubbles in enough - she made me go back to “Fill in all the bubbles”. I had to work hard to bite my tongue - you could clearly see what I’d marked.

Then we got to the part where they take you into a room and ask you important questions. I had a gentleman named Leonard. When we got to the part about my health history, I shared things that in any average conversation, solicit a human, compassionate response. The two bouts with cancer, surgery, etc. which they need to know.

No problem, except the guy literally didn’t blink or respond anything remotely human other than to keep asking me the same questions about my cancer treatment three times.

I finally did say something and his response was lovely, he apologized for his lack of tact.

Still, they would do well to remember that these folk they’re bossing around are humans, giving a piece of themselves, and some amount of humanity is important if you want people to return.

I was the last to be donating blood, and unfortunately, rather then allowing me the time necessary to recover, the same, bossy Asian gal decided she needed to give me a hard time about the fact they were closing. Seriously lady, you’re not in the right job. You’re literally losing the center donors.

Meanwhile, while they were all closing up and getting ready to leave, there was a lot of joking, joking / screaming in spanish , laughter, hispanic music turned up high, clearly they could’ve give me a few moments to just relax, and stay healthy since they really weren’t in any rush to get out…

So if anybody in charge of this place is actually reading this review, have a serious conversation with the folk administering the services and vetting donors. Oh, and talk to your “manager” is ignoring voicemail messages. I was on the fence as to whether or not I would again take the time to drive over the hill to donate here again.

And after asking me to reach out again on my OWN TIME to help you fix your own problems, and not having your manager call me back? ...

UNACCEPTABLE EXPERIENCE AFTER YEARS OF LOYAL BLOOD DONATION

I’ve donated blood nearly a dozen times and have always believed in supporting this cause—but my recent experience was so distressing that I feel compelled to speak up.

At this last appointment, I was handled with shocking carelessness. A staff member named Luz pierced my vein multiple times, even marking my skin beforehand with a metal device and a black marker. I had to remind her to sanitize the area, which is alarming in any medical setting.

After several failed attempts to access the vein, more staff gathered around and continued to poke at the same arm, insisting the blood wasn’t flowing. In my experience, blood flow fails when the wrong vein is selected or the positioning is incorrect—not because of the donor.

Despite their mishandling, they drew only 60 ml of blood and still marked it as a full donation, telling me I now have to wait two months before I’m eligible to donate again. To make matters worse, I haven’t been able to use my hand properly for over a week—it’s still sore and painful.

This was supposed to be my 12th donation. Instead, I left feeling bruised, dismissed, and deeply disrespected. If this is how regular donors are treated, it’s hard to imagine how new donors might be discouraged from returning. I truly hope this organization reflects on its protocols and retrains its staff on both proper technique and basic...

I make it a point to donate blood at the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center once every quarter, as I believe in the importance of this life-saving practice. The staff is usually lovely and attentive, making the donation process as pleasant as possible. The facilities themselves are nice, clean, and comfortable with good amenities to help you relax during your time there.

However, I am consistently horrified by the selection of post-donation refreshments offered. For a center affiliated with one of the most prominent medical institutions in the country, the array of sugary, processed junk food they provide to donors is shocking. After giving blood, donors are handed cookies, chips, sugary juices, and other nutritionally void options.

This sends an incredibly mixed message - a premier medical center advocating for health while simultaneously pushing the very foods that contribute to the chronic health issues they treat daily. Would it be so difficult to offer some wholesome, nutrient-dense options to replenish donors? The disconnect between UCLA's medical reputation and this aspect of their donor care is disappointing enough to make me consider finding an alternative donation...