They will find a way to inconvenience you. I'm Not sure if this is because they are always training a new person or what. They scheduled an appointment for me and when I showed up I waited an hour then another 30 minutes for processing just to find out that I cannot donate until the next day. Not the day they scheduled for me. Another example is when they had the doors open for deliveries on a hot humid day and my temp was 99.5 after waiting for 30 minutes and processing for 20. They even were talking about how hot it was and that everyone temp was high that day. They couldn't check my temp the right way only with the gun which is highly innacurate. Drove over to my PCP and my temp was completely normal and I donated! 12/17/24. It's obvious not all GCRBC are the same. I've donated over 20 times in the past four years and I cannot stand this office. read more

I have been donating here for years and recently even started volunteering! The staff here care tremendously about their patients and the mission of The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. You won't find a better place to make you feel excited about saving lives! I encourage you to stop in and see for yourself. PLUS, you'll get a free fresh baked cookie, snacks, and a free gift! read more

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It took almost 1 hour to get checked in. Finally when I got to a chair to donate blood. The girl that checked me in was being trained and I am sympathetic but someone needed to work with her to make it more efficient. It seem like everyone was going in slow motion. I missed an appointment because giving blood took so long. read more

This particular blood bank center is located off Hwy 99 at Highland Knolls in Katy. It's very clean and quiet. The check in staff will require your ID. It's doesn't matter if you're a previous donor to Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. After check in, it took about 35 minutes to get seen. You're expected to fill out a questionnaire in regards to your social activities that may affect your blood donation. After filling out the requisite paperwork (or in a computer), they will take you to one of the many reclining medical chairs to give blood. There is an area in the middle of it all that has toys or activities for children. Next to this is a casual, little eating area. This center supplies snacks for you after the blood donation. If you're light headed, they will ask if you want to lie down in one of the private rooms. They request you stay for at least 15 minutes after a donation. My phlebotomist, Jennifer, was extremely engaging and kind. I was nervous about doing this since it's my first time to donate blood. She could tell I was anxious and she kept up the conversation very well. She reassured me too. This employee was very professional and warm. She was able to quickly find a vein, set me up and walked me through what I needed to do. Honestly, you can't even tell where she put the needle in my arm. No bruise or any other issues! It didn't take very long for my blood donation. If you ever have any questions, the people who work here are knowledgeable. I plan on returning to this particular center. Great experience overall. Couldn't ask for better people to deal with. read more

Gulf Coast Blood - Front desk for check in when you make a donation! - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Katy, Texas

The gentleman who took down all my information and survey was very polite and personable. He worked very well with me and I am pleased with his service. Once I went in to sit down, everything changed. I was told by a tech, T. Mack, to sit "wherever". After that, he went about getting me ready without a word. No explaining what he was doing, no small talk nothing. Once he went in to puncture the vein it all went downhill! He wasn't able to either find the vein or, he punctured it after pulling out a bit, adjusting and reinserting several times. Again, he never explained What was going on. I told him it hurt but he continued to do it and press down on the spot where the needle was. This went on for a while. My arm was burning, I let him know, then swelling at a rapid rate! When I asked what was wrong "It helps if you look away, if you're scared of needles." That was the only answer I got from him during the procedure. I've been through multiple surgeries and countless blood draws and never seen my arm swell like that! He then called Elissa over, she pressed down on my arm again. By that time my hand and arm were numb and I could no longer grip the ball. I let them know. She did not explain or seem concerned about my discomfort either. They then called in a third tech who came over, he at least smiled and asked if I wanted it to be over. I said "Yes please." T. Mack then pulled the needle out, still without an explanation or show of concern for my very swollen and numb arm. I was then dismissed and one of them said "Since we didn't get anything out you can come again tomorrow to try again". My husband walked over and was shocked when he saw my arm. My son was beginning to get worried so I just wanted out of there! I did however ask T. Mack what went wrong he answered saying "Sometimes, well most times it the fault of the person who put the needle in..." and trailed off mumbling something that neither myself or my husband understood. That was the only answer I got from him during the procedure. He gave me a pamphlet saying "Call that 800 number if you need". (No information on why I would need it) No apology, no remorse and no show or concern for my pain. No one showed us out or showed any concern. This morning, the hematoma started and I was unable to bend or use my arm much without pain. Again, I've had multiple needles in my arm in the many medical procedures I've had and never have I seen anything like this! I went back today to your center to try to speak to someone and get someone to own up to this and ask that your techs be retrained in procedure and curtesy to donors. There was no supervisor there just "someone in charge", Elissa. I spoke to her and showed her my arm. She gave me the Risk Management Number to call and this email but she said there was not much else she could do. I have since received a call from Risk Management apologizing for what happened and explaining what could have gone wrong. read more

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This is my first time donating blood. They made the process very easy and very accommodating to anything I needed during my time there. Definitely would recommend if you're needing to donate for any reason read more

My session went fine but my wife's was a disaster. After several failed attempts to hit her vein her arm started swelling up like a balloon and the technicians gave up. No concern or treatment/follow up. Now her arm looks like Popeye's and she can barely bend it. I hate to give a bad review to a blood bank, but first they should do no harm. read more

Gulf Coast Blood - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Katy, Texas

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The location is extremely clean, the staff is very friendly and wonderful people. I give blood every 56 days and have been giving blood for over almost 40 years, another to giving to others. They yank you for tiv encourage you to keep on keep on donate blood read more

Donated blood today All went well They had my espn ready for me My Gatorade and cookies ready I've been here 2x And both times very professional very clean And they took my blood right on the first time have never had any problems I love this place Very down to earth Good atmosphere Looking for a place to donate come here read more

Make your appointment online, but remember to tell them what donation type you want to do. They do not reference the appt info always. Be sure to ask what donation they need the most. read more

Gulf Coast Blood - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Katy, Texas

Blood donation is so important and it's scary, but the people that work here are all too kind. They make one feel comfortable enough to relax and get through it! read more

My experience has been just fantastic. The facility is very comfortable and everything is super clean. Everyone is a delight to interact with. Every step of my donation was very clearly explained to my satisfaction. This has been my second visit and it will not be my last. I was made always feel totally comfortable and well cared for. This entire Staff gets an A+. read more

They caused me hematoma A doctor there called Elissa didn't put the needle in a correct position and worked on adjusting it several times then she told me that I can't donate blood I don't recommend donating blood in this branch as I faced troubles there several times. read more

Mrs. Jennifer is one of my favorite human beings in the world. She makes donating a fun and relaxed experience. Not only is she a great person, the rest of the staff is amazing as well too. If you feel the need to give back(like you should) please come here. You will not regret it. read more

Alright, ladies and gentlemen! It is officially time for you guys to really start considering those New Year's resolutions! I thought about mine really hard and yeah I'm planning on losing like... 100 lbs but you know that isn't very likely to happen. So want to come up with a more realistic goal? Commit for life! It is so easy to sit in a chair once a quarter and let a lady prick you in an arm! You are saving lives while you are at it. The ladies here certainly are courteous enough and you get all the juice and cookies you want. You even get to sport a fashionable bandage for the next 6 hours. You can sign up for a giveblood.org account to monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol. You can also get free merchandise and make appointments. And for the few brave individuals out there, if you have time, you can also donate platelets and sign up for the bone marrow donor list. This location is BUSY BUSY BUSY so always try to make an early appointment. read more

Donating platelets is something I like to do to help out my community. It is such a small part of my day to make a huge difference in a vast variety of people that need it! I have and had family an friends with terminal illnesses that rely on these donations and that in itself makes me feel good... no great that I can make use of my time and body to find balance in someone's life. These small actions of donation, whether it be whole blood, platelets or what have you it makes such a HUGE difference in people's lives. Stop and think that one day someone you know might need a donation. It would be nice to think that you gave the most incredible gift ever... A chance at life. read more

Today I had an appointment to give blood but ended up giving plasma and platelets too. This was my first time giving the plasma and platelets so I didn't know wha my to expect. One lady got me seated and another, Jennifer I believe, for me started. She explained the whole process to me thoroughly so that I had a good understanding of what was going on and how the machine worked. I had brought my headphones because I had just planned on listening to some music during the process. That didn't work as planned because they continued to check on me so often. Turns out that was a good thing. I was a 3/4 done and my body was just done apparently. I started to feel a little off and Jennifer noticed it before I even felt off enough to say anything. Jennifer, and the original lady jumped into quick action to get me back to normal. I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't make the full donation but super impressed with them ensuring my well being over a full donation. I didn't have any bruising or any other issues that wasn't my own bodies fault. I'll definitely be back again with some better hydration and maybe a better meal before I go. Thanks to the employees there for keeping an eye on me and taking good care of me. read more

They have amazing customer service. They make sure you are comfortable and you have everything you need!! Amanda was very professional and helpful with all the questions I had she made me feel more at ease!! I will definitely be back here soon!! read more

I'll give it the 5-star, even though nothing is perfect. The place is clean, the staff are friendly, and the operation is professional. As a long time donor, I'm on a first name basis with them all, and they always take time to be attentive to me. I give the 5-stars for the staff and their competence. But the Gulf Coast system are overly cautious about eligibility to donate criteria. Although there are always tweaks being effected, there are times I have wondered why they put so many roadblocks to donations? "Patient comfort," the tell me. Yet up until recently if you had a low hemocrit reading you could come back the next day and try again. Now they make you wait 30 days. They used to give you the cholesterol readings along with the other screening data, but they've stopped doing that. They say it was because they weren't splitting out the HDL and LDL readings - but even having the total cholesterol number is a useful health statistic. So I'll give the staff the 5-stars, but I'm less enthusiastic about their corporate overlords. read more

I donate regularly with Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. I have never had any complaints and in fact always rate the staff really well! I normally go to the cy-fair neighborhood location near my job and just make appointments before work. Today is NYE and I have the day off and thought I would get one more donation in for 2015 and so I set an appointment a few days ago with the Katy location a little closer to home. BIG MISTAKE. The Cy-fair location is awesome and is always smiling and greets everyone when they walk in and is more than helpful on the phone. I always have an appointment and have never waited more than 5 minutes to start the process and have always been able to donate immediately. Today, at the Katy location, I walked in and there was no one at the desk. No biggie, I went ahead and signed in and went to have a seat when a gentlemen came and took my id to I guess check me in for my appointment. He then went to the back and came back a few minutes later to tell me that there were no beds available and that it would be about a 40 minute wait if I would like to stay and donate. I asked if he was sure because I had an appointment. He said they had several appointments cancel and walk ins to come and donate. I asked to clarify that they filled all of the beds with walk ins knowing they had appointments coming in. He said "we don't keep beds open just in case people come in" I asked what it meant to have an appointment if not to manage and make sure that they could donate around that time. He said sorry and I opted to leave. I am very frustrated and disappointed because I really just wanted to be able to donate one last time for this year and now it is too late to get in at the other location. Not to mention my complete waste in drive there and back. I will not be going to this location ever again and will stick to the wonderful staff at the cy-fair neighborhood location where I am much more comfortable with their professionalism and customer service. read more

This Blood Center Rocks!!! I always have a blast here. The employees are great! They always take care of me and I always feel appreciated.

I made my appointment over the phone for a Saturday at noon. A good time to go as there aren't many people at that time. Jennifer was there both times I have donated and she is just the sweetest lady. She makes for good conversation and shows concern for you like when your blood pressure ain't right. The entire process took an hour. It doesn't normally take that long like if the blood mobile shows up to your office so be prepared to wait awhile. Don't go in a rush. Just go when you have time and remember you are saving a life. Of course there are plenty of juice and snacks for afterwards. The place is clean, the people are nice and the location is next to a chocolatier. read more

I got a call from the center begging for blood and scheduled an appointment the day before new years. I arrived and was told their computers were down. The old spectacled blond haired woman at the front was the most arrogant, disassociated and indifferent person I have ever met. She said I could come back after lunch. I asked her want time, I'd like an appointment. She said, "Just come back after lunch." I said, "I don't think so." As I left I let her know that I didn't think they could manage a Kool-Aid stand. There is no way I would come back without an appointment as I don't want to be sitting around waiting. I've been giving blood and even sponsoring blood drives at work for nearly fifteen years. That is over until that woman is fired and replaced with someone who is a bit more solicitous of those of us who volunteer our time to donate blood. I don't think the words "I'm sorry" or "I apologize for the inconvenience" ever passed this woman's lips. She is an embarrassment to the blood bank. My association with this place is over. read more

Usually never have to wait long if I set appt. Sometimes just feel pressured to donate platelets

Went to donate for the first time last week and have to say my experience was wonderful. Staff there made me feel very welcomed and helped calmed my anxiety down since I'm no fan of needles. Happy to say the donation was a success and rather quick and painless! I will definitely be coming back to donate...feels so great helping others :) read more

Love the staff here! this facility is very clean and well kept. everyone is so friendly... Love donating and "Commit for Life! "

The BAD and the UGLY-The Blood Center on Hwy 99 & Highland Knolls. I arrived 10 minutes early for my 10 a.m. appointment today. After waiting 5 minutes, 3 employees arrived, banged on the door and an older woman came and opened the door for them. As the temperature outside was 63 and the front of the building is in the shade, I asked if I could come in and wait. Granted by this time it was 9:55. The older woman looked and me and said "go away and come back in 5 minutes." Really??? It was chilly out and I was there to do something positive for my community (platelets) and she wouldn't let me sit and wait inside for 5 minutes?? I doubt it was my 5'2", fifty-something year old appearance that caused her to deny me entrance. Must have been some kind of power trip, I don't know. I told her to cancel my appt. and also told her she was a rude person. Now, did this help anyone? Did my temper get the best of me? No and yes. Sad because this is the only local place that I am aware of and yet, I won't be back for a good while. I am saddened that our wonderful community that I've been a part of for 15 years is losing its' small town persona. read more