It's #ThankYouThursday! A time to share about businesses we're thankful for here on Yelp. I'm excited to share about BioLife, a plasma donation center where your donation can help save lives. A friend of mine has been donating plasma for awhile and let me know BioLife was doing a bonus in October - $950 if you do 8 donations in 30 days. Unfortunately I wasn't able to sign up in time, but the same bonus is still happening in November. Payment comes on a prepaid Mastercard "debit" card. You can use this card like most debit cards, or you can withdraw cash at participating ATMs or deposit the money into your bank account. You can register for an account online and sign up for an appointment. Your first appointment is long because they register you, screen you for donation, have you answer a really long questionnaire, then review the questions and get a physical exam. I ended up being there for 2+ hours on my first visit. The screening process is pretty easy, you can't be visibly ill (or actually sick), they prick your finger to test your blood for protein and iron levels, they weigh you to see how much plasma you can donate, and they take your temperature and blood pressure. You have to have at least two "good" veins in order to donate. I'd never donated plasma before but it was a pretty easy process. The needle they use is pretty big, but as someone who doesn't really like needles, it wasn't too bad. I thought I might be able to get some work done while I was there, but you really can't do much because you have to keep your arm still and straight, and you have to squeeze your hand or a stress ball on and off throughout the whole procedure. They have wifi so you can scroll your phone or watch shows etc. All the employees I encountered at this facility were very professional and kind. It's cool to be able to help others in this way, as well as make some extra cash. read more

Medical was not professional at all.She wanted exact information. She had a problem with tattoos.

Going to make this short folks. Been going to the Walker location for years and had one bad 'poke' in a vein in my right arm a few years ago. A hematoma developed and was extremely painful and unsightly. I'd post a pic but it was too graphic to do so. Took about 3 weeks to clear up. Fast forward to about a month ago and I got another bad poke, this time in my left arm. Huge hematoma and took 2 weeks to clear up. They called and followed up and I told them I'm done: also complained about inexperienced phlebotomists doing the pokes. So donor beware: it can go real good or REAL bad when donating plasma. read more

I think I'm done "donating". Every time I go in and have the guy with glasses check me in... I know that I'm gonna be told that my iron is low. However, whenever anyone else checks me in there isn't an issue. I'm not sure if he needs to get retrained or his machine needs to get fixed. But I've heard him many people that same thing. This the Lemon Grove location. read more

This place is a scam. I went twice and the 2nd time the phlebotomist couldn't get the vein but told me I'd get paid, which I understood to be $100. I went a third time and they wouldn't even try and said I couldn't donate. Well I found out for the 2nd appt they only gave me $20 for bruising me up and on their site it said between $30-$100. So they ripped me off and damaged my arm. UPDATE: After posting I got a message they added $80 to my account. I'm surprised, but appreciate they did that. read more

Everyone I get don't know how to poke at the Walker location, it was terrible. I have a large vein which is not hard to find, which is scary because anywhere else don't have issues. Needs better training with the needle placement read more

for the most part the staff are friendly and professional but lately the payments have been lacking. it seems they draw people in with generous payments and then slowly pay less and less. Not exactly what I'd expect for being a loyal donor. Especially considering how much they make off those donation. read more

When I went to my first appointment I was not left with a particularly good impression. In fact, had I not been referred by my husband who sings their praises, I would never have returned. I was greeted professionally and with Covid, they have a lot of rules in play. First, I had my temperature checked. Then she asked if I had my ID and something with my full social security number on it. The suggestions she gave which may have my full number included a pay stub but paystubs never have a full SSN on them. As I stood there looking in my bag for something with my SSN on it she asked me a couple times to have a seat while I looked. There was no one behind me so I didn't accept the offer. She then asked me to stand 6 feet away from the desk while I looked. As I attempted to log into my place of work to retrieve a paystub, I asked if they had WiFi and she said "yeah some people get it better outside." She never told me how to log into the WiFi and became quite insistent that I have a seat while I look for my proofs. I asked if she could get my car key from my husband who was already donating. Before she went to get it was when she became so insistent I stand 6 feet away from the desk she was now leaving. When she came back she gave me the key and about 2 minutes later she told me "I'm sorry you can't sit in here, these seats are only for people who are donating." Which I was trying to do and she was the one who told me to sit to begin with. At this point I was insanely frustrated. Why would you tell someone to take a seat while they looked for the information YOU want if they can't actually sit there? And why would you speak to a donor as if they are nothing more than a loiterer?? So I went to my car. I found a W-2 and was able to donate. Of course by the time I got in there and actually was making my first donation, my husband was done. He then had to sit outside in the sun for over 40 minutes while I finished my donation. The entire visit took about 3-4 HOURS. I returned because I knew that first visit was over and because my husband referred me and like I said, he sings their praises. Everyone else has been courteous and kind. I haven't had another experience like that but if I did I would never return. Also, had it not been a referral from someone with vastly different experiences, I would NEVER RETURN! I'm not there to get paid for my plasma. I don't NEED to get paid for my plasma and truth be told, I'm probably losing money since I drive from an hour away to make my donation. I'm donating to HELP PEOPLE! Because one day I went to the lab to retrieve life saving plasma for my patient and as I looked down and saw my husbands blood type in the bag, I realized it could be my husbands plasma saving my patient and I felt a sense of pride. So I decided to join him. It's simple, you are asking for our donations! DO NOT treat a donor as if they are nothing more then a filthy loiterer. Because that's how that employee made me feel that day. I'm giving 4 stars because everyone else has made up for that one poor experience. read more

I've been donating for years now (formally in Walker) but I switched to kentwood because they're hardly ever busy! Typically, I'm in and out in a hour. The money is amazing (even better around the holidays) and it's tax free! I recommend donating to anyone looking to make some quick cash. read more

They don't tell you this, but I would like to inform those before you give them all your information. They allow only one phlebotomist to asses your veins, and if you don't have 2 appropriate sized veins then they can turn you away because of only one opinion. This is after they take ALL your info. i am checking into the validity of this policy as I feel the assessment of your veins should be done FIRST, before you hand over all your personal info. read more

I have always had a pleasant experience at this location(East Paris-Grand Rapid, MI). The staff are friendly and helpful. i would recommend BioLife for plasma donatio!! read more

great customer service! I used to donate years ago and customer service was lacking. They really have improved in my opinion.

Incredibly slow, almost impossible to schedule and yet running at less than half capacity. Far worse than the worst days of Covid.

The people at the front desk are not very friendly. They are very short and quick tempered. Not the most patient. And they also don't treat you like adults if you have questions. It can be a little demeaning. The rest of the Biolife workers are very friendly. However, I have had several hematomas due to them not sticking the needle in correctly. They need to train their workers a little bit more before sending them out on their own. Overall, my experience has been okay. But these are a few concerns. read more

donating plasma here at the walker location is quick painless and rewarding ! win win the staff make me feel comfortable and always are polite and friendly. I have only have great experiences here. I think I'm more of a friend here vs a customer or patient . 5 stars if you ask me about Biolife walker location read more

I would say so far my biggest complaint, is always chasing after them to get the coupons they offer added to my account , I think out of the 5 coupons I've given them, I have had to reach out and discuss the fact I did not receive the bonus every-time single time .. as it happened AGAIN TODAY! Also I caught the girl mis writing my code associated with my name , she said ohh good catch and then scribbled it on the card ( hmmmmm) ... I looked at her and she said oh I will rewrite it‍ ‍. Well thank you , I get home and the funds were not added to my account ! It's VERY FRUSTRATING HAVING TO APPEAR TO BEG FOR AN OFFER THEY HAVE PROVIDED YOU WITH ! Otherwise my experience at East Paris location has been excellent so far ! read more

I went in to this office and passed all of the tests until the guy nurse brought me into the back for the interview questions and I told him I was in recovery and had 2 years of sobriety. He asked if I was in counseling for it and I stated yes. This is by choice. He told me I could not donate unless I had my doctor fill out a form that he had taken me out of counseling and my recovery program. So I said "so I have to discontinue help that helps keep me sober to donate blood,?Wow" then he asked if I wanted the form to have my doctor fill out and I told him I wasn't coming back. It was a complete waste of time. They should have reasons you cannot donate at the front check in so you don't waste an hour and a half just to be tied down to. read more

Always have a great experience here! The pay is great and usually I can just walk right in and back out within an hour! Everyone is very kind and patient with you if you have any questions. Occasionally they do promotions for additional pay and those are so helpful! Highly recommend this location. read more

The Biolife at East Paris is great. The workers there are super nice and helpful. They have a big load in dealing with people everyday :). The money is great and it usually doesn't take that much of your time. Thank you for your service in helping others in need. read more

If you're gonna give out $1000 coupons please make sure to prepare your staff and employees. It's taken an hour to just get my finger poked. It's not realistic for people to spend around 3 hours at Biolife For a standard donation. read more

This place is the most unprofessional place I have ever been to.The staff is rude also not efficient,I was there for more than 31/2 hours just to be told no because I had a mark on my arm after three other people looked at it and said it was fine these people are a joke and the place isn't clean at all....if you go here I beg of you not to go to the one on Paris because they're the worst of them all,staff just standing around in groups chitchatting. Not standing 6 feet apart!!!!!I called several times to get the name of the center's manager and was put on hold 6 times then hung up on in my face these people should not be running this place and I'm pretty sure none of them are qualified....I'm calling the regional manager Matt because this is inexcusable. read more

For a large company, they are apparently stingy with finances for funding web/app development - the app for communicating with them for appointments, etc., works MAYBE one out of a dozen times, and I can never reach them by phone. Web site never connects either - I've tried using IOS, MacOS, Android and Windows with zero success, so it's a problem on their end. This has apparently been an issue for a LONG time and they don't seem too concerned about fixing it. I know it's cost them several potential donors already, but they obviously don't care. I have 3 appointments left (I think, since I can't connect to them to be sure) so my donations will come to an end at that time. read more

The technicians here don't change their disposable gloves unless you explicitly ask them to. I thought this was a poor hygiene practice so I talked to the nurse in charge. She said it saved the company about $80,000 a year. I don't care about their bottom line; to me my health and well-being are more important then their massively profitable business saving some money. If you have to resort to selling your bodily fluids to be able to afford food or rent, please make sure to have them change their filthy gloves before they draw your blood. read more

I had donated plasma on and off for about 3 years. I have allergies that occasionally cause dry eyes/redness, something that had been documented in their questionnaire. I have only had a few concerns, nothing worth complaining about until my last visit. I arrived in the morning for check-in and after having my pulse and bp checked I was asked to see a higher up in her office. This person proceeded to tell me that the technician thought I smelled like alcohol. I was shocked to say the least. I don't even drink alcohol I explained. I had her smell my breath and she seemed satisfied that I did not smell like alcohol. I also brought up my allergies because I did have some redness in my eyes that day and asked if that influenced the technician in any way. She couldn't say either way. Regardless, I was told that I could not make a donation that day. That was about 4 years ago. I have not returned since. read more

The staff is friendly and professional. Never thought I'd say I enjoy donating plasma, but it's a relaxing hour for me twice a week.

I've been donating at Biolife on and off for 4 years and never had an issue with them until recently. My donation was going fine until all of a sudden the machine starts throwing alarms. I look over and the floor is cover in blood. Whoever hooked up the tubes on the machine did so incorrectly which caused the tubes to leak my blood. I was unhooked from the machine, and then left to sit alone for 30 minutes while the nurse "monitored" me. The nurse left me alone the entire 30 minute period except for when she told me I had 12 minutes left and then left me again. During this entire time I had no idea what was happening. After the 30 minutes a tech came and told me I was no longer able to donate for 8 weeks because I lost over a certain amount of blood. Which makes no sense to me because the body regenerates blood relatively quickly. Anyways, I was given a poor explanation of what went wrong and why I was no longer able to donate for 8 weeks. Because of a biolife employees mistake, I face the consequences and as missing out on $800 of donation money. That is 2 months of rent that I have no idea how to pay for now. I was very disappointed in their actions and poor professionalism. read more

This place will give you a headache. Don't bother going. I began going to this plasma donation center in January. When I wanted to register to become a new donor, they gave me such a hard time because of my hyphenated last name. I brought in 4 different documents to show my identity and that wasn't enough. I had to have my mother bring my birth certificate to prove who I was just to donate. That process took at least 3 hours long. I've donated 2 other times without any problems. I haven't been as frequent with donating because I have been busy. Just today I go in to make a donation and they said I was unable to because I missed a protein test. And because I missed that test, I have to do another annual physical. I asked the receptionist was there an indication in the app for this test and she said no. She said every 4-6 months BioLife will do a protein test at random. I said shouldn't you guys notify the donors that they should continue to donate so they can take their protein test? And she said well we don't have the manpower to notify every single donor about a protein test. I am just very fed up with their lack of knowledge and reasoning that I feel like I am being forced to take my donations elsewhere. I literally drove 20 mins to this location for nothing. read more