If your getting pics etc done by outside companys make sure you include in the agreements that the output needs to be on the standard that the calibrator is.
Any half decent printing company will give you output profiles for their print devices, as well as file spec requirements. It then rests squarely and fairly in your shoes to make it look the way you want based on their profiles and ensure you comply with their requirements.
Calibrated monitor + output profiles + spec requirements = success
Plus, forget any silly clauses in printing agreements....they'll only laugh at you, why should they change their monitor calibrations for every customer ? Remember... they are doing the
printing for you, not
editing, thus they will not be spending any time whatsoever starting at your file other than the minimal amount necessary to send it to the RIP server.
The responsibility is always in your shoes to submit a decent file because if you're only contracting them to print, then how are they to know what is a "good" and "bad" file, they have to assume what you supplied is "good" and press-ready. Put yourself in their shoes !
If you're
that obsessive about achieving 110% perfection in your prints, then the
only answer is to ask for a hard proof before the job rolls onto production. That's the way it's always been, and that's the way it will always be. If they don't know what a hard proof is, or refuse to do one, then change printing companies ASAP !