Recently I was obtaining quotes for language translation from several companies I had located online. Most of them are based on the East Coast of the US. The translation was required for the HMI (Human-Machine Interface) of a machine we were building for shipment overseas. We don't do many international builds so don't have much experience with translation services.
It came down to two companies, one of which was about 40% cheaper than the other; both gave me the same sense of quality. While on the phone with the more expensive bidder, she told me she could come down in price but not that far, and I explained that I appreciated the time she had spent to talk through the project with me, but given we didn't have previous history with either company, I would have to go with the lower bid.
At one point she asked me what the name of the other company was, and I declined to provide the name. The call ended courteously.
Obviously, this question can apply to many different situations. When is it appropriate/inappropriate to disclose to a supplier the name of their competitor who you choose to do business with?
My gut feeling is, in this circumstance it may not have mattered since there are thousands of translation companies out there and we don't have a relationship with any of them. Whereas, in our local market we are typically more careful about our relationships with our common suppliers (for things like motors, actuators, sensors, etc).