Should I say no thank you?

[confused of chalus]

We have been getting quotes for a staircase in our barn conversion and for once we had all three artisans contacted turn up and send Devis.

Having chosen one of them to do the job, should we contact the unsuccessful bidders and say no thanks, or just leave it? (I have to say I feel really sorry we cant use one lovely man - but he was just so much dearer and wasn't a staircase specialist)

Is there an etiquette? (English version of this word!)

[Gardian]

I don't think that there's any etiquette - most will be quite used to not hearing anything (and that applies both in France & the UK).

However, the very fact that you feel that it might be an appropriate thing to do is laudable. It does no harm whatsoever, it lets them know where they are and there might be another day ..........

It would be polite and that's a rare thing, isn't it?

[5-element]

We had had 3 devis when we got our double-glazing. It took a while for us to decide who was going to do the job, but then we decided and went ahead. Meanwhile, the boss of one of the other two companies rang up my husband, and blew his stack at him. He demanded to know WHY we hadn't picked him, WHY we had not let him know, and this went on for half an hour - during which my husband was trying to pacify him and remained extremely polite and apologetic. OK, the man was, and is, a bully, and we also realised since that he is a bit of a crook and preys particularly on foreigners (I went to see him and gave him a piece of my mind on a subsequent occasion).

But nevertheless, I do think that it is courteous and thoughtful to tell someone who has taken the trouble to come and give you an estimate, that you have given the work to someone else. Putting myself in the shoes of the artisan, I can see that I would like to know, so that I can organise my planning accordingly - especially in these days of uncertainty. Now, I would always get back to the artisan and tell them, and thank them for their trouble.

[Patf]

I agree - it's not obligatory, but it's the courteous thing to do.

We had 3 quotes for a fosse and didn't accept any of them as they were much more than we expected and could afford. So I wrote and told them that. One of them offered to do it cheaper "on the black", but we didn't take up the offer.

[Catalpa]

As the OH of an artisan... it's really nice when someone comes back and says no! - even if no explanation is given. It just feels as if the effort made in visiting the job, pricing it and preparing the devis is being acknowledged - just by giving us their decision - rather than being ignored.