Maybe a constrcutive approach..
Now that you've felt and expressed your anger about how you were treated, it's time to sit back and calculate an effective strategy.
You were treated rudely in a way that mocked and disrespected your gender identity. This is unacceptable. Management needs to be held accountable.
I suggest you contact Equality California (www.eqca.org) and file a complaint regarding this case of discrimination against a transgendered person. As a statewide organization that represents a huge constituency, they have the leverage to get Costco's attention.
While you are just a single person that might ignore, there are probably tens of thousands of LGBT members of Costco in California. That is leverage.
You need more than an apology. You need a firm commitment that Costco will train its workers to avoid discriminatory behavior.
Re: COSTCO AND GENDER DISCRIMINATION
Quote:
Originally Posted by NatassiaDreamsXXX
So this morning i went to Costco here in San Diego to renew our membership (for my grandmother and I) and i was arguing with a girlfriend of mine on the phone therefor maybe my natural voice came out a little but thats besides the point. So after standing in line for approximately 10 minutes without being paid attention another customer comes up out of nowhere and proceeds to the counter and starts being helped. Myself after standing there for 10 mins without a greeting or anything frankly said "Hello im also waiting for help" as the Employee rudely replied "I was helping him already" Which was not to my knowledge, so I replied "Ok well can someone help me, because there are like 5 of you standing around doing nothing" After about another 2 minutes the OVERWEIGHT employee turned to her co-worker and said "Can you help this GENTLEMAN, i mean lady out?" To my utter disgust speaking with a girlfriend of mine on the phone i said to her "Can you believe this lady as im standing here with 34d breast and perfect demeanor and perception as a female just called me a gentleman??" She overheard and quickly shot over a apology that you could tell that she didn't mean. So in my fury i said to my girlfriend on the phone " I guess shes just jealous that i have a 24" waist and hers is 42" which OBVIOUSLY she heard and commented something to her boss and then the boss starting rambling something which I paid no attention to.Then this is where it gets good... Next thing i know the Overweight worker comes from helping her customer and gets in my face saying "OH why dont you say whatever it was you were saying to my face?" As I replied " First of all I wasnt EVEN talking to you, and if you do want me to say it in your face i will YOU FAT BITCH!" Then it started going downhill from there and many words were exchanged in our fury. Somethings along the line from her "Atleast im Natural" in which i replied (lifting up my shirt to show a six pack, that ive been working hard at for the past three months in Krav Maga and kickboxing classes sometime back to back)"This is Natural too, its called a GYM AND YOU SHOULD LEARN ABOUT ONE". So the manager of member services saw that this issue was getting out of hand as the lady wanted to attack me ( i wish she wouldve, i wouldve loved to try out some of my moves that i have been learning on her LOL) and called a manager to escort ME out of the store as the manager very rudly comes up to me and says "Did you insult my employee?" In which i replied "Yes, after she insulted me, and I know 2 wrongs dont make a right but in other words if you cant stand the heat then STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN! In which he replies that i can NEVER go back there again, and I defiantly assured him that i wll be back in which he replied if I do then he will call the police and arrest me for trespassing! THE NERVE!!!!! I Left the store SHAKING with RAGE and went home and called Corporate office and made a complaint, as i was DISRESPECTED as a person and I wanted action against it. After explaining my story to Corporate, she said she would have the manager contact me which he did BUT WITH AN ATTITUDE saying "You can come back here as long as you don't disrespect my employees in which i replied " First of all I am a PAYING CUSTOMER, my hard earned money i spend to on membership, and shopping within your store is PART of what pays your salary, so if your employees dont DISRESPECT ME, i will not disrespect them!" In turn he replies "Well we have witnesses, that you disrepected my employee" in which i QUICKLY REPLIED " I Have a witness as well! (My girlfriend was on the phone the whole time for those exchange of words) He replies " Well she is very upset"in which i replied "SO AM I AND I DEMAND AN APOLOGY FROM HER!" He replies "Well im apologizing on her behalf and you can come back here and shop as long as you dont disrespect any of my employees again" and hung up. :x I am furious over this event and feel totally discriminated against but dont know what else to do. Im sure this has happened to others before but how do we go about resolving situations like this and I would like further action because i feel this issue wasn't handled the way it should have been. Any info would be greatly appreciated as those who know me KNOW that i am not confrontational at all and always VERY respectable in dealing with other people. Just had to let that off my chest and if anyone has any suggestions or comments im all ears!! We need to stand up for our rights!!!
What you did wrong was engage the employee in kind with insults. You should have immediately went to the manager/supervisor, ask for the name of the GENERAL store manager contacted him/her, then call corporate.
If you would have then threatened them with litigation, they would have cut you a check.
