Performance standards and wages and benefits should be indicated in the contract, because there are no generally accepted security standards for all environments; the vendor is not capable of setting the standards, since security procedures interact with too many other policies of the user company; unless wages and benefits are incorporated into the specifications, the wages will gravitate toward the Federal minimum wage, and the benefits will approach zero; the wages and benefits package constitutes the only objective measure of quality; and it is impossible to make a meaningful comparison of vendors unless their bids are based on the same standards of performance and the same objective measure of quality as defined by the wages and benefits package. If the wages and benefits are basically the same for all vendors being compared, management availability and expertise becomes a critical factor in the selection of a contractor. The operations people should be assessed, since they will manage the account. In examining managers, consider the length of company and contract guard industry experience. Further, when checking references, ask specific questions about the responsiveness and professionalism of management. A sample format for bid specifications is provided.