Atlanta man insists on getting comped at club because he knows the manager. Then a worker calls the manager over: ‘Not him saying what’s your badge number’

Some people try to circumvent real-life paywalls when they hit the town. That can lead to the ire of bouncers who have to push them out.

An Atlanta bouncer went viral after sharing an exchange with a customer who insisted on getting into her club for free. Now her commenters are calling out the man.

‘This dude was so confident'

Atlanta bouncer Britknee (@britknee0405 on TikTok) posted a video that has more than 196,000 views. In it, she shared footage of a male customer trying to convince her to let him into the club without paying the entrance fee.

“This dude was so confident that he was going to get comped in by the manager,” the creator said in her video. The video then switched to actual footage of the confrontation. The camera faced the creator, but the customer was offscreen.

The customer told Britknee he didn't have $20 for the cover fee, but that he also didn't expect to pay it anyway as he is “usually VIP-ed up in [the club].” He tried telling her that she definitely knew who he was, but the creator responded, “I don't.”

The customer then asserted that the club's manager knew who he was, so Britknee asked for the manager. 

“How long that gonna take?” the customer asked. “A moment,” she responded.

The customer got agitated. He started asking for Britknee's badge number. He then threatened to get her in trouble with her superiors, saying, “You about to get reported.”

The manager ended up arriving on the scene, and they made the customer customer pay for entry.

Commenters weigh in

The comments under Britknee's video seemed to share her opinion of the man claiming to be a VIP. Multiple commenters poked fun at how he talked to her, from him asking for “a badge number” to criticizing his “cocky” tone. Viewers also praised the creator's “calm” and “unbothered” demeanor.

“Ick,” wrote one commenter. “Guys that talk like that REPULSE me. SCREAMING for attention like a neglected little child. GROSS.”

“You were so spot on and professional, and you still remained very nice!” another wrote. “That was actually good enough to be a training video for people. Nice job!”

How to talk to the bouncer at a club

Clearly, the man broke some unspoken rules of nightlife etiquette. So what did he do wrong, and what's the right way to go about engaging with club bouncers?

Club owner Alex Proud's “guide to dealing with bouncers” advised customers to always “be polite and calm and respectful.”

“The bouncers have been standing in the cold for hours,” Proud wrote for Telegraph. “They have been speaking to people like you for hours. They are tired and bored and they have heard it all before. Nothing you can say will surprise a bouncer. Also, they have all the power. You have none. You can win an argument with a bouncer and he still won't let you in. So be nice to the bouncers.”

In his blog, bouncer Joey Maccaferri warned against arguing about the rules or getting too inebriated. Thrillist also advised individuals to avoid flattery and to be empathetic. After all, bouncers are only human.

“When you approach a situation with an overall sense of positivity and good nature, you automatically trigger the neurons in other people's brains to make them feel a sense of well-being, too,” former FBI hostage negotiator told Thrillist. “Be happy to see the bouncer. Smile. Don't be a jerk. This is the most basic advice I can give anyone approaching a negotiation. It's so simple, but so often overlooked.”

Buzz News has reached out to the creator via email.

@britknee0405 When the manager actually DOES know him… and still says charge him #CanISpeakToYourManager#VIP#Comp#FreeAdmission#NotHere ♬ original sound – Britknee-ATL