I've been donating whole blood for many years and about 3 years ago started to donate platelets after my father needed them. As much as it hard to sit still for up to 3 hours, my body allows me to do this so why not help in saving lives? The staff here is great, I get to binge watch new shows and unlimited snacks and juices! Parking is easy so no excuses! read more

Had an appointment at 2:15. The girls who checked me in were very rude then just left the counter and were no where to be found. Waited 50 mins and still didn't get called back. Had to leave because I came on my lunch break. I Just wasted an hour out of my day for nothing. What a fucking waste. read more

I urge you not to waste your time trying to donate blood at this facility. The appointment you made means absolutely nothing and today I finally left after being ignored in the waiting room for 45 minutes. I have "universal donor" blood (O negative) and Red Cross constantly asks me to donate. This is not the first time I've had this experience at this location but I promise it's the last because I won't set foot there again. read more

Be prepared to wait. The communication and the appointments are never on time. There is always a lag, especially if you are waiting for the power red machine. I've been multiple times trying to donate blood have left multiple times without donating. read more

Always running late 45-60 minutes wait. The whole process is highly repetitive and inefficient.

For years I've donated blood here. The technicians are kind, efficient and always appreciative. I would like to continue to donate, as I'm universal donor O neg and "baby donor", benefitting many. Sadly, the new automated hemoglobin analyzer gives low readings, resulting in deferral. Hopefully they'll consider returning to the old "finger stick" method, or at least give donors the option. read more

I really enjoy going here and have donated blood at this center numerous times. The staff is always personable and quick with my donation. I will keep returning! Keep up the great work! read more

This review addresses the poor experience I had recently. The woman who checked me in was training someone, and right from the start, she seemed to be on a power trip. I believe she's a nurse because she talked to her trainee about another nurse, calling her 'useless' while I was in the room. She also made some rude comments about a doctor who didn't approve a certain order, and I was left thinking, 'excuse me, why are you discussing this while I'm here?' Where is her professionalism? She didn't even check if I was comfortable with the trainee going over my information. She only asked me quite rudely after the trainee had already started for a few minutes. Personally, I don't mind new hires learning and practicing with me, but I was put off by the disrespect this 'nurse' showed me, her trainee, and her coworkers. After all the verification was completed, she asked which arm I preferred for the poke, and I said 'left.' She pointed to a chair for me to sit in. Then, when the guy came in to start the donation process, he asked which arm I wanted, and I told him the left arm. He angrily responded, 'then why did she sit you here?' as if it was my fault. To just get it over with since I had already spent so much time there and wanted to leave quickly, I told him to use the right arm instead. Overall, it was a very negative experience from start to finish. People here need to learn to be respectful to their coworkers and donors. They require more training in bedside manners. I work in healthcare and always treat my patients with respect and dignity, which I unfortunately did not receive here. The only positive aspect of donating was that someone would benefit from my blood and the free t-shirt I received, which no one ever mentioned to me. I heard some staff mention it to other white donors but not to me as an Asian donor. Are they racist? I had to practically run after the guy to ask about it. read more

Easy to find and park at this location. Very cheerful staff here and super nice people to work with. They perform a critical service and always say thank you for the donation. Highly recommended. Once you figure out how the donation works, it is so easy. read more

I go here every 8 weeks to donate blood. If you are physically able, I highly recommend donating blood. It's an easy way to make a difference and help out other human beings. The Red Cross also has mobile donation clinics but those are usually buses so if you are in the least bit nervous about donating blood and/or claustrophobic, then I suggest going to a non-mobile blood center. This blood center is very spacious. Sometimes it's a bit cold inside but they have hand warmers and blankets available if you need them. The staff here are always super nice and they often have little giveaways for donating blood. They are also very talkative which makes the time fly by but they still get you in and out of there in about an hour. They have good snacks here. Sweet and salty selections and they let you take one before AND after you donate. They also have passion-guava juice which is my favorite. In addition to the staff they also have volunteers who, after you donate, treat you like you just saved a bunch of babies and puppies from a burning building. I don't donate blood for any sort of recognition but it's nice that there are people who are so appreciative. read more

Donated blood. Staff are very attentive and explained everything. Very friendly as well.

So at this point I've donated 4 Gallons of blood mostly without issue. Today I had a 5 pm appointment, arrived 15 mins early and shortly after that was informed they were about 20 mins behind. No big deal! After 20 mins we were updated about the delay, was told it would be around 45 minutes before they got to me. I do t have time for that and leave. Now here's my issue the Red Cross is begging for blood donations, I made this appt at my last donation so 56 days ago,I have no idea what caused them to be behind, but this isn't the first time.it cost me $20 to drive there (gas+toll) Tonite s experience just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Do better Pleasant Hill Red Cross, do better! read more

I came in today around 1:30 to donate whole blood and my iron was high enough! Finally! I came two weekends ago and wasn't able to donate because my iron was too low. Always bums me out when my iron is too low. Anyways, I didn't make an appointment and just walked in. The young woman working the counter was friendly and had me sign in as well as check-in on the computer. I flipped through the reading material and was about to pick up a magazine when my name was called. I seriously was only waiting for about 5 minutes. The woman who took me through the prick finger, check temperature and blood pressure, questions on the computer routine was great. When she pricked my finger it seriously did not hurt at all! I am pressing on it right now and it is not sore what-so-ever! Best finger pricker ever! I wish I had looked at her name tag or asked her for her name so I could give her a shout out. A different phlebotomist named Chris was the one who actually drew my blood. Chris was divine. He was great with the small talk and it was such a small pinch when he put the needle in my arm, that the pain was basically non-existent. He was totally cool with lifting the cotton off of my arm so I could get a gruesome picture of the needle in my arm. I really liked that he made a point of telling me exactly what he was going to do before he did it. I am hoping to have him as my phlebotomist for future visits. As always, the after donation refreshments and snacks are delicious.Today was easily my best experience at this location so far. See you guys in 56 days! read more

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Donating blood here is simple and the staff is amazing. I have used this location twice and both times I was in and out without a problem. I wish I knew the name of the lady that took my blood today because she was very sweet, gentle, and had a wonderful smile the entire time. I'll be back in a few months read more

American Red Cross - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Pleasant Hill, California

Made an appointment for 2. Still waiting at 2:30. Have seen two people walk out due to delay.

COVID hero's working here! i have had the blessing of donating here for almost 2 decades! I drop off some platelets here a few times a year-catch a movie-share some laughter with the awesome crew-have an appropriate amount of snacks! What a great start to the week! read more

Came to donate accompanied by my son (8 yrs old). Was told I could NOT donate since he was with me. No explanation. However, the Red Cross website explicitly states you ARE permitted to donate accompanied by your children. Shame on this center - working parents need not "apply" it seems. read more

I've been a blood donor for over 40 years. I believe that it's the end result that matters most, getting healthy blood to a person who needs it. Since COVID affected the community it's been harder for the different centers to staff fully. If I have to wait a little extra time that's no big deal. The Pleasant Hill location has friendly, helpful staff who do the best they can to cycle us through. Save Lives, Donate Blood! read more

Appointments are never on time. Most recently I had to leave without donating, after waiting 30 minutes for my appointment to start (it never did). read more

The people are always great, but they are never close to the time of appointment. Ive been told they're running a little behind, sometimes that means 2 hours . They really need to stop overbooking read more

The staff at Pleasant Hill's Red Cross is friendly and fast! I donate blood every chance I get. When they call me to let me know I'm eligible again to donate, I set a plan for myself to head to the East Bay. Even though I live all the way out in San Francisco, I make the trek out to Pleasant Hill to donate blood because of how pleasant my experiences are there. Most of the regular staff knows my face now, being the repeat donor that I am, and I feel at home when I arrive. I don't think I've waited in the front lobby for more than 2 minutes before having my name called to begin the process. The staff is thorough and explain everything they're doing. Even though it's all repeat information for me nowadays, it's refreshing to see that everyone gets the same experience and that they air on the side of over-communication rather than limited information. I really appreciate that about the Red Cross. Thank you, Red Cross! And I'll see you in another 56 days! read more

American Red Cross - Passionfruit juice and a Keebler mint fudge stick... 2 of the main reasons I come in to donate blood! - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Pleasant Hill, California

One of my favorite past time hobbies. Knowing I help save lives is honestly the best feeling in the world. This location can be kind of hard to find. Turn into the lot that has the children's playground and it'll be on the right. There's also designated parking for blood donors. Aren't we special? The phlebotomist here are usually very kind and personable. The older woman at the front counter isn't always super friendly, but that's okay. The process is always very fast and they are on top of their game when it comes to verifying names and birth dates. There is always someone at the snack and juice section who is kind and always caters to my juice needs, which is cool. I'll continue to come here as often as I can! read more

Due to COVID it can take forever to get an appointment. Then, once you have the appointment, it makes sense to get the Rapid Pass done so you can minimize your time spent in the waiting area. But once you are exactly on time for your appointment, you are promptly told the wait is at least an hour even if you have an appointment. The staff, with just a little prompting, will let you know the wait times are now the norm, and every donor, unless they are retired, is angry at the wait times. ARC clearly has enough blood so this will be my last donation at this location. You should feel good about donating blood, not frustrated at the lack of organization. read more

I've donated here several times and the wait times have gotten progressively worse. The last visit was my last time, as I had waited an hour, with two people having arrived after me being serviced first. They were giving more significant donations (platelets, power red) than my whole blood donation. But I think it's unfair to give priority to them as I had already been waiting a significant amount of time. I enjoy helping others by donating blood, but this place has become a complete discouragement, and I will never be returning to this location again. read more

I've been a blood donor for over 25 years- this location is the worst I've ever encountered. Poor organization and management, not to mention non existent communication skills. If there is a problem or issue they should let donors know, not ignore them. I saw lots of people walking around doing nothing. I want to continue to donate platelets/blood but will have to find a different organization. read more

I was a little nervous because I don't often volunteer to get poked with a needle but everyone I encountered here was friendly and helpful. I had an appointment set and was helped very quickly. After the approval process with a very friendly lady (I didn't catch anyone's name there, but foreal everyone seemed nice), I was ready to make a donation. The girl who handled my blood draw was friendly and helpful and put me at ease. I'll plan to go back after a month or so! read more

Don't give them your phone number. You'll just have one more company harassing you by phone.

Be prepared for them to cancel your appointment or make you wait 1 to 2 hours to be seen. I am not sure what is causing this issue but bring a book and be prepared to come back another day. Very disrespectful. read more

The last time i tried to donate at this site they had cancelled my appointment so they could close early without letting me know until i arrived, after a forty minute drive. Gave Pleasant Hill branch a second chance in case that was a fluke, so here I am today. I have now been waiting in the reception area for over an hour, overhearing way to much dysfunction in the scheduling and non-volunteer reception crew.. Oakland is so much more efficient and respectful of their donors' time. read more

Because my veins are so small, it it usually too difficult to commit to donating blood every 8 weeks, so I typically go every 10-12 weeks. When I was at the blood center on Saturday morning, Barb was the technician who drew my blood. Not only did she hit her mark so fast and efficiently, but she was able to collect my pint of blood very quickly and for the first time -- I didn't bruise! If you want to do your part for your fellow human beings, consider being a blood donor. I just got my pin for donating a gallon of blood :-) read more

So I felt like saving a life today and decided to donate blood. It's my second time donating blood to the Red Cross. My first time was like 5 years ago. First experience wasn't bad so I wasn't nervous at all. Came here and immediately had really good service. Everyone's so freakin nice, it's amazing! Okay, so of course you have to do a screening process first before giving blood. Sign in and get a free appetizer coupon to Mimi's Cafe. CHECK. Answer any personal questions about your health. CHECK. Minimum IRON level of 12.5. CHECK. Normal blood pressure. CHECK. There, I passed.. and I was good to go. Sat on the chair while the tech examined my veins. She had a really hard time finding one since my veins are small, but she did the best she could. The injection didn't hurt at all.. but the part when she moved around the needle to get better blood flow--was a bitch. WTH. Not suppose to hurt like that. But I sucked it up. So a minute in, she decided that my blood flow wasn't as quick as usual and getting a pint would take all day. Since she had a hard time initially locating a bigger vein, she couldn't get in my vein valve when she injected the needle, and moving it would only lead to contamination. So she had no choice but to withdraw from the process. Damn. I guess I'll save a life another day. Now, lets just hope I don't swell up from this =/ So 3 stars. I'm not trying to hate on Red Cross or anything, but I'm hoping next time around would be a better experience. NEXT TIME.. I'll make sure to drink a GALLON of water so the tech won't have a tough time locating my veins!!!!! read more

I've given blood over 120 times. Never a problem. Highly encourage others to give it a try as well.

Have donated here three or four times and it has always been a quick and pleasant experience. Two suggestions to prepare: I suggest you go on the website and check out the requirements first. Especially check out the travel and medication restrictions. Women are disqualified if they're too small and tatoos/ peircings are "verboten". Behaviors associated with sexually transmitted diseases are, naturally, also grounds for disqualification. (No sense in showing up if you're going to be turned away, right?) If it's all good, then make an appointment online. Before you go, drink lots of water. It will make your blood flow much quicker and you'll get through in a jiffy. Experience there: In a private room, you'll be asked to respond to a lot of personal questions on a computer, which can seem intrusive .(Just remember they're trying to keep everyone safe.) Then they'll check your blood iron levels (from a finger prick), blood pressure and pulse. If all systems are "go" you proceed to the next room. You'll sit in a dentist-style chair and get an IV in one arm from which the blood will be drawn. If you've drunk lots of water, it will take about 20 minutes or so. If you feel cold, ask for a blanket and they'll be happy to oblige. After your donation, they ask you to sit for a while in a lounge, in which you are encouraged to enjoy some juice or coffee and some cookies, crackers, raisins--that kind of thing. Sweet volunteers are there to help you. Ten minutes is plenty, and you're on your way. Total time for me: 45 minutes. Could save a couple of lives. So, if you can, why not? read more

I woke up this morning to an email from Red Cross saying "urgent" O negative donors needed. So I booked an online appointment for 12:30 today. They sent a confirmation email. I had to juggle things around n my schedule today but felt good about making this appointment. I arrived a few minutes late and there was s sign on the door saying they are not taking blood today. So I went inside and they said they were short staffed therefore couldn't take me. The young gentlemen was very compassionate and apologetic. The young girl, not so much at all. She needs to maybe work at dmv where customer service skills are not required or necessary. I should have received a call. Omg to think they need my negative O blood type. Wow they sure don't act like it. If that's not enough, I then got two emails thanking me for taking the time to cancel my appointment. So I went online to see if I could book a later appt today at the same location, and sure enough I could and I got another confirm. I'm not dumb enough to show up for another spot only to be told they can't take my rare blood type. I like doing the right thing and donating blood especially because I am O negative. I don't want to go through this again. I've walked in for appointments before and the wait is way too long. read more

Donating blood is something I have done fo over 12 years on a reular basis, so when I got a postcard asking for a platelet doantion, I went and made an appointment. I went in 15 minutes early. Just over three hours later, I left. The donation itself was fine. The Nurse, not so much. I felt like I did something wrong soon as I met her, she seemed bothered I came in and was doing this kind of donation. Kept saying " we will try "... over and over about ever aspect of the donation. Right before I left, she thanked me "for trying" and that I should stick to whole blood. WOW! The other nurses were quite friendly with my other donations. Even the other nurses in the deppartment were friendly. Maybe it was just on off day. I still will donate blood, here there or Blood Centers of the Pacific. I donate my blood to help, not hinder a person. read more

I've always wanted to donate blood and the want for my first tattoo has propelled me to schedule an appointment. Figured I'd donate a couple of times before I get a tattoo. Pre-appointment experience: Scheduled an appointment online - an easy process! The website is easy to navigate. The website even gives you tips on how to have a pleasant experience, reminding you to be well-rested and well-hydrated, etc. Good information for first-timers! Got a reminder phone call - always welcome if you're a smartphone user like me, who fails to calendar important dates! Appointment itself: Pleasant with minor glitches. I was in and out within the expected time frame. The volunteers were friendly and helpful, the staff was friendly. One lady in white coat was super concerned to make my first donation a pleasant experience it was almost annoying. It's all good. I understand no one wants anyone to faint nor vomit. The guy in white coat that drew my blood was really nice throughout the process. I brought my tablet, anticipating a long wait but they were on schedule, unlike the one in Rockridge. Will definitely come back here in 2 or 3 months. But for a later appointment so I could eat a light breakfast first before coming, else I'll be causing too much of a concern again! read more

They claim to have a need for blood donations, I donated in the past and need to do more frequent donations do to high red blood cell count, you call and get no response, this tells me the need is really not real. read more

Did my first ever blood donation at this location 4 days ago. Made an appointment online using the Red Cross app (great app by the way!). About 2 hours before my scheduled appointment time, I got a phone call saying they were running 30+ minutes late- no problem as I didn't have anything planned for the rest of the day. Easy, friendly check-in process. Waited about an hour to be seen (bit of a drag, would have been nice to not have to wait THAT long), hence the 4 stars. The phlebotomist-Josh- that I had was absolutely AMAZING- made sure I felt comfortable, at east, answered any and all questions I had, he genuinely liked what he was doing. Donation went very smoothly. I did end up feeling extremely faint and passed out about a minute after my draw was done and Josh and all the nurses were amazing, very caring, made sure I was okay for 30 minutes afterwards. Other than the extremely long wait beforehand (and the whole passing out thing), I would recommend this location and especially JOSH as your phlebotomist. read more

I had an appointment and came in 5-10 minutes early, but they didn't see me until 45 minutes after my appointment time--though I heard the staff themselves say it was not busy. People who came in after me were seen before me, and I didn't get into the chair to have blood drawn until an hour after my appointment time--though about 2/3 of the chairs were empty. I'm not sure what the point is to have an appointment! "This place is a shit show," one of the staff told me. And that was before a donor was injured... When this other donor was done giving blood, the phlebotomist pulled the needle from her vein so fast and hard it tore her open and apparently pulled part of the vein out of the hole in her arm! She was bleeding a lot and the phlebotomists said she may need stitches! For donating blood! When I was done with my donation and drinking some juice, two of the staff were hanging out there and one said he had basically "been on break for three hours" because he didn't have enough to do. I don't think this facility is run well! I am happy to donate blood but I wouldn't go back here. read more

I was scheduled to donate whole blood today however I received a call yesterday asking if I would consider donating platelets instead. I said yes. Without hesitation. Lance helped me through the process and was AWESOME. He was very nice and kind. Very attentive and when we had to cut the donation short due to me feeling lightheaded, he assured me that I donated enough and it would definitely help someone. I will definitely donate platelets again and now knowing what to expect, I hope it is easier. Thanks Lance!! read more