Comping a meal

So I've been going to this restaurant for 13 years now. Since January 1 of 2008, I've gone 71 times. My check isn't that much about $11 before tip. However, 2 times a month I take a friend to lunch there and the check is $30 - $35 before tip. I have yet to be comped anything this year. In past years, my meal was comped about every 10 - 12 visits and on most visits my drink wasn't put on the bill, saving me $2 every time although costing them about 10 cents. A small price to pay for good will. Here's the deal. I can spend my $11 - 12 anywhere. I go to this particular restaurant because of the service and food. The service has been dropping off over the last couple years as long time employees have quit and the new servers just don't have the same personalities. The food has also been better in past years. Three times this year alone I've been served rancid Mandarin Oranges as a side dish. Yum. It's sad to watch an established place flounder about. I'm friends with the general manager, all the managers and some of the staff, although not as many as in the past. I bring some of them home made cookies on their birthdays and each manager gets a $25 gift card for Christmas. It's interesting how little the good will I show them translates into the good will they show me. I guess it's time I take my $11, fresh baked cookies and Christmas gift cards to another establishment that will appreciate my patronage.

Tips

Why do most, if not all, restaurant customers compute tips on the price of the food purchased? Tips are paid to reflect the level of SERVICE received, not the level of money removed from your wallet based on the price of the item ordered. Here's the deal-e-o. STOP giving your money away. Stop, Stop, Stop. When you go to a restaurant, don't even look at the check when you're computing the tip. Just decide how much the level of service you received was worth monetarily and tip accordingly. And STOP tipping coffee barista's and clerks at Circle K / 7-Eleven. They are paid an hourly wage to do their job. Those tip jars are tantamount to begging.