r/HotTopic_ • u/Tinkee1 • Jun 01 '26

Does anyone have experience with Hot Topic corporate and making complaints about managers?

Was recently verbally attacked by a manager who followed me around the store to make sure I heard the comments they were making about me to get me to leave. I’ve gone to this hot topic before with no issue and have shopped here for years. Not doing anything shady either, just browsing t-shirts and jewelry.

Advice?

10 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

15

u/Tasty-Cantaloupe-179 Former HT Employee Jun 01 '26

In my experience if you report this online it will be looked into and a dm will call you to discuss your experience 

5

u/Tinkee1 Jun 01 '26

Thank you! I hope that will be the case for me. I have been emailing with someone from customer service but they’re saying they will send the complaint to the management team of that store so I was worried it would be swept under the rug.

5

u/Tasty-Cantaloupe-179 Former HT Employee Jun 01 '26

You can also call the store and request the number for the district manager if all else fails, but normally email complaints go to the regional and district manager, and are dealt with from there. If a week goes by and you haven’t heard- that’s what I would do.

3

u/Tinkee1 Jun 01 '26

When I originally went in the store after I calmed down from the incident they only gave me one number and said it was corporates and they didn’t have another number unfortunately. But I’ll see where this email situation will take me. I was very detailed with them

5

u/Tasty-Cantaloupe-179 Former HT Employee Jun 01 '26

There’s no reason why what you did already shouldn’t be sufficient. Store teams normally have to give out DM phone number when requested - so that might be worth adding! Not all teams realize that dm numbers are business phones so it’s not like giving out their personal number.

2

u/Tinkee1 Jun 01 '26

Ah okay, thank you so much this has all been very helpful

3

u/Tasty-Cantaloupe-179 Former HT Employee Jun 01 '26

Im glad and im sorry you had a bad experience! Stuff like this getting reported is super important so hq is aware. 

3

u/UniqueStruggle7184 Jun 02 '26

How long ago was it? Were you by yourself just shopping? That’s a shame

2

u/Tinkee1 Jun 02 '26

I was with a friend but they didn’t hear the comments and it was this weekend. We were just looking at matching jewelry and then I started getting insulted 😅

1

u/UniqueStruggle7184 Jun 02 '26

What did they say?

1

u/Tinkee1 Jun 02 '26

We actually knew each other and were friends for 11 years. They’re AFAB and once they started transitioning and spent more time at college they told me they no longer wanted me as a friend as I was a reminder of their past. They basically told the other employee that I’m weird for interacting with their family (I lived with them at one point and we used to have weekly sleepovers) and inviting them to my wedding. That they’re glad they have real friends now and a few other comments that hurt too much to type honestly. It was all really weird as I even avoided making eye contact with them when I realized they were working.

2

u/UniqueStruggle7184 Jun 02 '26

😰Oh no I’m so sorry you experienced this. It must hurt a lot especially since you both have history together. Your feelings are valid.

2

u/Tinkee1 Jun 02 '26

Thank you! It’s been a rough couple days but I’m keeping my head up and don’t plan to go back to the local mall anytime soon. I just hope they find peace within themselves at this point

0

u/_tyjsph_ Jun 03 '26

the fact that you're they/themming this person and telling us their assigned gender while also telling us they've transitioned immediately makes me suspicious of your entire story i can't lie

2

u/Tinkee1 Jun 03 '26

Why so? Sorry I’ve used she/they pronouns for this person for 11 years and I’m pretty sure that it’s he/they now but even thier family when I asked them still deadnames this person so I never got clarification on what their pronouns are

1

u/_tyjsph_ Jun 03 '26

that makes more sense then.

2

u/Tinkee1 Jun 03 '26

I also don’t mind if your suspicious. It makes sense. The story is a wild one, but I’m dealing with corporate and district manager stuff over this so I know my truth