Awful. Awful. Awful. This staff - particularly those in management - need to reassess what good…read morecustomer service is. Historically, I haven't had a problem there. In fact, up until recently, the staff has always been kind and helpful. Now, all they do is sit at the cash registers and talk instead of service the customers in their store. Mind you, half the time their "talking" is really making fun of customers in the store. There have been several reports of associates (and believe it or not- managers) being rude to customers. Hot Topic used to be an accepting place where anybody could feel welcome. In recent times, however, they have been caught profiling on a frequent basis (ex: being nice to a customer with piercings and dyed hair, being openly rude to somebody wearing pink, etc.) They have been caught by multiple people calling customers names. The manager, Jeff, is the worst of all. His employees clearly follow his lead. As somebody who works in retail and uses customer service practices everyday, I found this business appalling. Also, as somebody who used to shop frequently at Hot Topic, I am very disappointed that I will no longer be shopping there due to their unbearably rude staff. I will be saving my Hot Topic trips for when I visit the Maine Mall, or I will be shopping online... if anything at all. I feel like a company who would put such rude, incompetent, and unfriendly people in management is not the type of company I would like to be giving my money to. In recent years, I have had several friends and acquaintances who have also ceased shopping at the Bangor Mall Hot Topic for the same reasons. Such a shame. In this economy, especially in such a small area in the middle of Maine, nobody can afford to lose valuable customers.
