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November 2004
Electricians are the smartest tradespeople in the UK . That's according to a poll commissioned by Thomson Directories to discover the Nation's Interpretation of Smart*. More than half of those polled thought that electricians were the smartest tradespeople, with just 13% voting car mechanics into 2nd place.
The complexity of an electrician's work coupled with the absolute need for safety is what set the profession apart from other trades, according to 51% of the public.
Stuart Burchell, head of external affairs for the Electrical Contractors' Association, isn't surprised by the findings: “ Our Members have always prided themselves on their training, skills and competence - which are critically important to ensuring electrical installations are safe - and we are delighted this view is borne out by Thomson's poll. It is also very reassuring in the light of the new requirements on electrical safety that are to come into effect in the New Year as part of the Building Regulations."
It is bad news for gardeners though. Creative trades, such as gardeners and builders, come way down on the nations ‘smart' list, gaining just 5% and 8% of the vote respectively.
Rob Love, Marketing Research Manager for Thomson Directories explains: “The survey suggests that an ability to deal with complexity in a precise and meaningful way is what makes something smart. Electricians fall into this category and so do Thomson Local products. With around 2 million business listings and additional information such as e-mail addresses and URLs, its products allow users to search through this vast amount of information more quickly and more accurately.”
Jackie Hewitt, Thomson Directories' Marketing Communications Manager, agrees: “We have meticulously planned our directory to help users work ‘Leaner Faster Smarter', making Thomson Local Directories the smart choice for local information.”
For further information please contact our press office.
*1,000 people were interviewed over the telephone as part of BMRB International's Omnibus
Respondents were given a list of tradespeople and asked which one they thought was the smartest. Results were as follows:
| Electricians |
51% |
| Car Mechanic |
13% |
| Plumber |
9% |
| Builder |
8% |
| Gardener |
5% |
| Roofer |
1% |
| Don't know |
8% |
| None of these |
5% |
Respondents were then read out a number of reasons why their chosen tradespeople are smart. Results were as follows:
| Their work is quite complex |
94% |
| They have a wide range of skills |
74% |
| They work under dangerous conditions |
81% |
| They save me time |
59% |
| They are creative |
39% |
| They work quickly |
41% |
| Don't know |
1% |
| None of these |
1% |
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