I give out commendations if you impressed me with some skill, whether that's in combat performance or glam and portrait posing, or if you've proven a refreshing personality in chat that made my run more fun.

Being begged for a commendation would make me less likely to give it, because even if I might already have been inclined to give it, I don't want a person to think that begging worked -- because I find it an annoying behavior and it will only go away if general perception is that it never works.