Plan ahead, pay attention to promotions, and refer a friend. If you do these things, I recommend. Right now, there are a few hiccups they are working on- and when they do, you will see more stars added to the 3 I'm giving it now.
the good stuff
There are more nice people who work here than there are grumpy people. Bedside manner and valuing your donors is not a natural born talent.
This location is always clean. Even when there's a rush and low staff.
They are bringing other staff from different locations to help out with the staff shortage.
The parking is okay. It is easy to park in neighboring parking lots if needed, but I've never personally had to, even at its busiest.
The not as great stuff
The wait times- oh my.
You should block out 5-6 hours for a regular appointment. Their wait times are extremely long and there are no chairs in the donor line. Most of us sit on the floor. Many feel their time is not valued/respected.
Due to the long wait times, bring a healthy snack and water. Because even if you eat before you come, too much time has passed and you are more likely to have side effects. ((Right now there is a national saline shortage so they give you a drink and snack, but this is temporary))
When new donor promotions are over, some days you are paid as low as $40. This is why it is important to refer a healthy friend.
The app- it glitches sometimes very occasionally- which prevents you from donating that day. Be careful cancelling/rescheduling appointments. I was out $75 due to this.
lots of appointments are available, however, the early ones get snatched up super quick, and there aren't as many. It makes it difficult for parents that have to pick up their kids from school to donate in the mornings. It also makes it difficult for people who have on-call jobs to plan ahead for a donation day.
They "close" at 7. But will schedule you as late as 6:15. The staff is here til well over 10pm and you can see it take a toll on even the most positive workers. They may be able to retain more staff if they are honest about shift times- and pay accordingly the overtime.
General tip
burr! It's cold in here, and the donation process can make you more chilly. Many bring blankets and sweatshirts. Even in the heat of summer! read more