Despite the separate thread opened by our own Phoenix celebrity porn princess "trinitypet," in which she attempts to put hobbyists at ease about contact forms, the fact is that they are off-putting. Some are downright unnecessarily intrusive. We don't like them and we never will. In context for this website, they make us the "sub" and the provider the "dom". That may work fine in bed for some, but when it comes to divulging personal information, no amount of assurance will mitigate hobbyists' concerns. Some hobbyists still shudder when recalling Desert Divas' computer printouts.
A requirement for a contact form is inferred to be an inflexible gatekeeper imposed by the provider. They deter many hobbyists from proceeding, so will inhibit encounters without an initial contact having even been made. Providers, barriers are bad for business. With a shrug and a sigh, the prospective client will most likely just move on to what are seen as friendlier waters. And you never even knew he was there.
On the other hand, we must acknowledge that the provider is at far greater legitimate risk than the client, since her exposure is multiplied by the number of clients whom she sees. The question is how she may best be assured of a safe encounter every time, without deterring hobbyists.
When screening is clearly required by a provider, my preference is email. Email also provides the provider more insight about the prospective client than does his filling out lines on a template. The provider can still stipulate the desired information, but if the hobbyist (whether intentionally or accidentally) omits an item, the provider may still be able to make a favorable decision on the basis of the rest of the email. If not, it's a simple matter to have a further clarifying message exchange, or handle it by phone. If the prospect is reluctant to unveil himself to the extent requested, then he has a decision to make. But, he remains in control of the preliminaries, rather than simply being asked to give it all up as specified on a pre-existing, impersonal form.
Otherwise, and especially since many encounters are desired on a same-day basis, I find phone calls most practical. (Of course, many providers don't even provide an email address.) A phone call also provides an additional sense to both parties of the nature of the individual on the other end, something not available with email. For hobbyists, that further confirms (or flags) whether this is even a good path, particularly by taking a cue from whether voicemail is promptly returned.
Those providers who are overrun by prospects knocking on their doors may of course call their own shots, including use of contact forms and other practices with impunity: they can't and won't see everyone, anyway. Otherwise, in my opinion, they are best avoided. Convenient or not, in my opinion they are bad for business, especially one that is all about personal service.