Do you think, if a customer of a service checks out competing service with little or no intention of using that service, that it's dishonest or is it "part of doing business?"?

At work, we use a catering facility and hotel for our annual holiday party (let’s call it “The Happy Hotel”). It’s a huge party with hundreds of guests. A competing hotel (let’s call them “The Competition”) wants us to come visit and check out their facility, in the hopes that we will utilize them next year. There was a large conference at The Competition hotel last year where many people got sick and the Health Department had to investigate. We are very happy with Happy Hotel that we have been using and have little or no intention of switching (especially to The Competition, the one that made many people sick).

I think we should take The Competition hotel up on their invitation, however, and check out their facility and get prices. I think it can be helpful in negotiations with The Happy Hotel, to know what other hotels offer in terms of food, cost per plate, etc. The Competition is happy to try to sell their service and I’m sure they understand that part of selling a service is that there’s a chance that the customer will not use them.

Another person that I work with thinks that to do so is being dishonest.

I am not going to argue about it, as I usually lay low at work, so whatever the majority decides is what we will go with. I am curious, however, for other Jellies’ opinions.

If a business checks out a facility with little or no intention of using that facility, is it being dishonest or is it “part of doing business?”