Thomason comes to Missouri PSC for data analysis, stays to help utility customers - EUROPE SAYS
Writing an email to a state agency can often feel like shouting into the void. Public servants like Tyrone Thomason, a data analyst with the Missouri Public Service Commission’s Customer Experience Department,. . .
Writing an email to a state agency can often feel like shouting into the void. Public servants like Tyrone Thomason, a data analyst with the Missouri Public Service Commission’s Customer Experience Department, aim to make the void shout back. Thomason and his department specialize in fielding customer complaints, turning trends into actionable data and making recommendations to the commission during rate cases and complaint hearings. “We’re kind of in charge of making sure that the companies are abiding by the residential consumer protections found in Chapter 13 of our commission regulations,” Thomason said. “We’ll send out data requests to the utility company, get their side of the story, and then we’ll write a report detailing our findings and give our opinion as to whether or not there’s been any commission rules violated. ”Thomason’s role requires extensive data research and collaboration with other departments under the Public Service Commission as he makes recommendations on consumer protection breaches. Something as seemingly simple as a water meter issue, he said, can mean sourcing in-house experts and “a lot of reading. ”Thomason moved to Jefferson City after graduating from the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in history. He said he enjoys his post, which he has manned for more than four years, but said he never imagined working for the state’s primary utility regulator. “I don’t think there is a class on how to regulate utilities. … I was originally drawn to this job because of the data analyst part of it, because I like looking at problems and trying to figure them out,” he said. “So I wanted to find a role where I could do what I enjoy doing, but also be helpful. “Over time, because of what we do in complaint cases, I enjoy doing that because every now and then, we do find something where the company has committed an error and it’s to the customer’s benefit. ”Thomason’s job changes daily, he said, as new complaints come in and the commission’s docket changes. Aside from complaint cases, which go before the PSC as simple hearings to determine wrongdoing, the customer service team also assists in rate cases. When utility companies come to the PSC requesting a rate increase, staff members like Thomason review public comment and determine if a utility is passing muster before the commission approves or denies the rate change. Rate case investigations often lead to stipulation agreements between the utility company and interested parties, where the commission grants the utility’s request, but under conditions imposed by PSC staff or consumer protection agencies. “We’re usually investigating any customer service issues that have happened since (the last rate change),” Thomason said. “And if there is anything we think the company can improve on, then we write testimony and present a recommendation to the commission and try to get customer improvements that way. ”In typical fashion for a history buff, Thomason said his favorite part of the process is writing his recommendations to the commission. While individual staff members stand by their recommendations and often have to testify before the commission, each step in the process requires collaboration and learning from other members of the commission’s multi-faceted staff, he said. “Once you have the data, once you’ve done your analysis and you’ve decided after looking at the data, ‘This is the best way to go about this,’ the writing process, I enjoy that,” Thomason said. “I enjoy working here, obviously,” he said while flashing a smile. “I also enjoy the people that I work with as well. There are a lot of intelligent people around here who absolutely know what it is they’re talking about. That’s something else I’ve appreciated, working with and also learning from them as well. ”