KENT, England — Paramedics, pilots and the police came out top in a survey regarding trust carried out on behalf of Elephant, the Kent window and conservatory company.
Hundreds of people across the South East were asked to award points to the occupation they trusted the most — with some interesting results.
Despite the MPs expenses scandal of the last 12 months our elected representatives will be pleased to know their score was not lowest in the trust stakes. The research saw 18 occupations listed in three different categories.
The three least trusted occupations were plumbers, window salespeople and those selling timeshare. MPs ranked thirteenth in the list, which also included financial advisers, teachers, barristers and estate agents.
Duncan Barkes, spokesman for Elephant Windows, said: “The days of salesmen in the mould of Arthur Daley or Frank Butcher are long gone, though clearly the stereotype regarding salespeople still exists.
“We feel TV has done little to change the public’s perception of someone who sells for a living. At Elephant we employ a sales team of five with almost a century’s worth of experience between them. They have been with us for years and you do not last that long in this business unless you have the total trust of your customers.”
The survey was undertaken by Ramsgate-based Elephant Windows as part of a market research exercise designed to gain a greater understanding of the public’s perception of various industries.
1 Paramedic - 94 per cent
2 Pilot - 93 per cent
3 Policeman - 89 per cent
4 Fireman - 86 per cent
5 Teacher - 75 per cent
6 Barrister - 71 per cent
7 Magistrate - 70 per cent
8 Chef - 66 per cent
9 Financial adviser - 62 per cent
10 Travel agent - 59 per cent
11 Car salespeople - 59 per cent
12 Estate agent - 56 per cent
13 MP - 46 per cent
14 Electrician - 45 per cent
15 Builder - 44 per cent
16 Plumber - 42 per cent
17 Window salespeople - 38 per cent
18 Timeshare salespeople - 32 per cent
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