Smith readily admits that type of operator-contractor relationship is all but myth today. In fact, he believes the level of professionalism has increased on both sides of the coax. About half the time it doen't work, it's the contractor's fault. The other half it's probably the operator's fault, simply because they never told the contractor, in enough detail, exactly what was expected of them. And it's not really fair to the contractor.
Communication is absolutely the key.
Contractors, I think, perform a valuable service for this industry. They always have, and I think they always will, if you treat them right. While there's plenty of legalese specifying who is the party of the first, second or third part, the heart of the document deals with the nitty-gritty of establishing a working relationship between the operator and the contractor. That way, there would be no misunderstandings, no misconceptions about what's to be expected. Odum says the meetings focused on areas like work quality, quality control, insurance and work structure.