According to Bauerochse, around half of the complainants now send their concerns to him by email and a quarter by app. Many customers used to come to the office in person to raise their concerns. This has fallen sharply.

"We aim to respond to citizens' inquiries within a reasonable period of time," emphasizes the clerk. He deals with around 800 cases a year. The classic complaints are cleanliness, parking offenders, lighting and missing or annoying street signs.

"It is important for the customer to be taken seriously and most of them are not necessarily interested in being right," says Bauerochse. He often drives out to inspect the situation in person and assess it better. "I take the customers with me in the decision-making process," he reports, informing them promptly about the progress and outcome of his research. But even if the city of Salzgitter is not responsible, he passes on the contact details of the relevant authorities in order to direct citizens to the right address. He also often refers his customers to the possibility of independent arbitration proceedings to mediate between parties in dispute.

Bauerochse regrets that only two percent of inquiries from the public concern ideas. He would like to see more suggestions here. Every idea is taken seriously and if it cannot be implemented, there is an explanation as to why this is not possible.