Despite the push and pulls made on district councils on a daily basis via central government, local citizens and other key stakeholders, one essential element we must remember is responsiveness and linking with the citizen's need.

In doing this we must maintain that high level, quality, timeliness and interactive experience whether it's dealing with flood issues, the vulnerable in connection with housing, homelessness, council tax, refuse collection, public protection or planning development.

Whilst our budgets are shrinking, customer expectations are forever growing, and many district councils have already experienced that ‘watershed' and the ‘burning platform' feeling and taken action to have a deep and hard look at new ways of working, doing things differently and creating/trialling new models of operation.

In these challenging times the customer experience could be under threat often through the temptation to adopt a salami slicing approach, and can deter developing new customer solutions which may recover our investment over a longer period.

A shortage of money may also make us think wholly about the cost rather than the added value offered. We also fall into the trap of looking at how we restrict services rather than educate and invest in changing behaviours, and fall back on regulation rather than empowerment to control the flow of limited services.

I was intrigued by an interview on the BBC Radio Today programme with a leader from the motor industry.