Mount Manganui's Senior Station Officer Roger Pickett has been on the job as a firefighter for 37 years and is not surprised to find they are still the most trusted people.
For the eighth time running, a Readers' Digest New Zealand 2010 survey has seen firefighters come out on top as the most trusted profession in the country.
"When people need us they are contacting us rather than us imposing ourselves on them," Mr Pickett said.
"We are not an enforcement on people so they do not feel uncomfortable.
"We are here to keep people protected and safe."
The least trusted were telemarketers, who sat below politicians and sex workers.
TrustPower telemarketer Jason Elliott-Lowe defends his position.
He believes that his job is to listen to what people have to say, not the other way around like people assume. "Our job is all about listening. We are not here to cram things down people's throats.
"If we can't make it better for the customer we will leave it right where we are. We pride ourselves on our integrity."
Mr Elliott-Lowe said it was usually the telemarketers ringing up from an overseas call centre that people did not trust.
TrustPower community relations manager Graeme Purches said most telemarketers were not trained properly, resulting in bad communication skills towards customers. "A lot of telemarketers are bad because they are generally just employed through recruitment agencies rather than the companies themselves. Anyone who applies can get a job.
"We are not concerned with this latest poll because we believe our telemarketers are great and do not push people. At TrustPower we make sure we interview and employ all our staff and put them through training programmes to make sure they are good."
The most trusted person in New Zealand was Corporal Willie Apiata, followed by Fair Go presenter, Kevin Milne. Hone Harawira sits at the bottom of the list as least trusted.
Firefighter Mr Pickett said trust was dependent on how much you give to people. "If you are going and helping people out, they appreciate it more than you realise."
TOP 10 JOBS
The most trusted professions.
1. Firefighters.
2. Ambulance officers.
3. Pilots
4. Nurses.
5. Doctors.
6. Pharmacists.
7. Veterinarians.
8. Armed forces.
9. Police officers.
10. Teachers.
BOTTOM 10 JOBS
The least trusted professions
31. Fast food servers.
32. Financial planners.
33. Corporate CEOs.
34. Tow truck drivers.
35. Journalists.
36. Real estate agents.
37. Car salesmen.
38. Sex workers.
39. Politicians.
40. Telemarketers.
TOP 10 PEOPLE
The most trusted New Zealanders
1. Corporal Bill Apiata, Victoria Cross recipient.
2. Kevin Milne, presenter of Fair Go.
3. Sir Peter Snell, scientist and former Olympian.
4. Margaret Mahy, children's author.
5. John Kirwan, former All Black and mental illness spokesperson.
6. Sir Colin Meads, former All Black.
6. Sir Peter Jackson, film director.
8. Alison Holst, celebrity chef and author.
9. Irene van Dyk, netballer.
10. Valerie Vili, Olympic shotputter.
So, just how trusted is your profession?
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.