Hot Topic — Local services in Town of Watertown

I went into Hot Topic on July 20,2019 at the mall in Destiny USA Syracuse NY.. An employee came from the other side of the store really fast saying “hi, how are you doing? need help with anything?” Your employee needs to give people some time to enter into the store to look around before they are in your face.. I saw first when she/he did that to my children and my husband.. It got worse when this person not sure if it was a he or she, saw me, that person came even faster to the other side of me, saying can I help you with anything today. I said I was with the people that “you were talking to before.” I was so annoyed and angry that I don’t get time to be in the store without feeling harassed.. on top of me and my family following us through out the store. More me than anything else. the store was a bit crowded and I know they have to watch the customers in the store. But it was only my family and I that was followed through out the store more than anything.. not the white customers that was at the store.. I have three children that love anime and my middle child was looking at a headband and I took it off him. “I said no your not getting that. You don’t need it.” As I put it down that employee is right behind me saying let me get for you, I’ll just put that away.. Now we are walking to the middle of the store and this employee assisted in following us once again. There’s other people to follow but this person felt it was better to follow us.. Popping up where ever we were watching everything we would do.. I told my children “put the stuff down and let’s go, I’m getting tired of being followed through this store.” As I said all of that, that same the employee plays it off and says awe your children are so cute and funny.. at this point I’m very angry and I don’t acknowledge this employee, I just turn around took my sons and walk towards my husband and my daughter. I said let’s go we are being followed. now mind you there’s other customers that can easily steal but instead my family and I get followed through out the store.. As we are leaving the store I see the same employee following back towards the front of the store.. I had enough this month alone being discriminated against in different stores where my family and I go.. this is the third store I have reported. These other stores were not hot topic but still the same thing being judged for being black and/or brown.. I had enough and I’m not going to let this go anymore.. I know this person is not going to get fired, just like the other stores that didn’t fire the racist employees they have.. but I’m not going to stay silent anymore.. This why I stay home because I’m tired of dealing with people who like to discriminate against people like my family and I all because we look different from them and think that my people are the only people that steal.. when white customers are bigger thief because no one judges them or follows them throughout the store.. I’m posting anywhere I can so people can know what to expect when your shopping while brown and...

I work from home and barely get out of the house. I also suffer with severe anxiety. I walked into the store (5/20/21); To look at a tank top. The whole mask mandate I've been following the news and the last I heard if you are fully vaccinated you no longer need to wear your mask. The first 2 stores I went to you didn't need them. So I walk into hot topic that has no clear signs without one. Melanie with weird greenish hair gave me the worse and most belittling experience. There was possibly about 2-3employees there working with only 2 customers in the store. I get half way in and stopped by her. Only to be yelled at about my mask. I did question why because I literally have no idea, and thinking it's federal. Melanie went on to give me the worse attitude didn't offer to kindly explain the reason. Her attitude is the worse I have ever seen in a retail store. She made me stand out in a store with her attitude, her demeanor was intimidating as well. She still didn't clearly explain to me whats going on with this whole mask thing. I just wanted kind explanations . Instead she threatened to call the police on me when I did absolutely nothing wrong. I am not a rule breaker or trouble maker. I am a military spouse and already have a hard time with being away from the people I know. Then come to a store to be treated like that. If she were able to calming talk to me and answer my questions it would have been fine. I left the store and just said I hate the east coast. She threatened the cops again, and was bantering with her attitude. I let her know I was going to call and make a complaint. Then either those other girls she was with were her friends or a customer I do not know. They yelled at me to leave the east coast which over all was the worse experience. I turned and told the other customer she was a B* because it is absolutely mot her business. back to Melanie still Bantering I did tell her attitude was really sour. Suffering from severe anxiety when talked to like this from a stranger it causes me to have a crippling anxiety attack. She made me stick out and on the spot. Which made me feel soo embarrassed feeling like that. I went to the parking lot and had to get a ride home because being treated that way without any genuine explanation. She even told.me the mall entrances have notices of this rule, I did not go through a mall entrance but another store to enter. I really hope Melanie is able to treat people better. I did stand in the door way coming back from another store, and asked for her name. She proceeded to tell me she was letting her manger know about what happened. So who even knows If my complaint will even get a...

I used to really love this place growing up. But things have really gone down hill in terms of the staff at this place. There was a dude I saw working a lot and it was fine. He did the usual greet and promotions talk and I was left to my own devices. Was there in a random Monday afternoon and the dude wouldn’t leave me alone. I tried showing my disinterest in continuing conversations but he just wouldn’t stop. I thought it was a one time thing but I went there again and he was there. I felt very uncomfortable each time and spent the next few weeks avoiding the place if he was in there. Slowly I stop going all together. That was 2 years ago. Now my sister went the other day. It was a mess. The worker accused her of stealing a pair of tights and threatened calling the cops on her. She emptied all of her pockets and purse to show she didn’t steal the tights. Security was called and they were on my sisters side. She has never stolen anything in her life and I found the entire story insane. The man refused to apologize to her once it was figured that she didn’t steal them. She loves that store more than anybody I know and she said that she cancelled all her accounts with hot topic over this ordeal and...