Case Study: Choctaw Indian Nation Casino

The Choctaw word for rain, “omba”, usually signified a welcomed event for the Choctaw Indians of Durant, Oklahoma. However, little did the Choctaw Indian Nation know that the rains of February 10th would result in the destruction of a newly installed NEC 2400 IPX telephone switch worth of thousands of dollars at the Choctaw Indian Nation Casino.

Don Vega, Optus field operations manager, received a frantic phone call from the casino’s telephone technicians on February 10th. Don was informed that a hole cut into the roof of the casino for an air conditioning installation, had been left uncovered the day before and allowed several inches of water to travel through the air conditioning ducts and into the telephone switching room. This resulted in massive amounts of water being dumped on the new NEC 2400 IPX switch installation that Don had supervised over the past several months. Unfortunately for the casino, the switch warranty did not cover “Acts of God” such as lightning and flood, and the huge Casino was due to open in three weeks.

Don immediately contacted his general manager, Chris Burtz, and the Choctaw sales representative, Christi Garcia. Don and his two colleagues arrived at the casino to survey the damage. As Don began pulling cards out from the switch, he soon realized that virtually all the cards had water and/or burn marks and that with the exception of the voice mail and call accounting system, the switch was a complete loss.

Optus and Choctaw had a major challenge ahead of them. With the casino less than three weeks away from its grand opening, what could be done to have a new switch up and running in time for the grand opening, and at the same restore immediate phone service so the casino could continue to conduct business and get ready for its huge event?

The three met at the Dallas regional office to consult with Mark Duckworth, owner and CEO of Optus, to determine a plan of action. It was immediately agreed upon that Optus would stay committed to the project’s original timeline. That meant a new switch would have to be installed in less than 18 days so Choctaw’s grand opening could remain on schedule. Next, through intense discussions with Duckworth, the Optus Professional Services Group (PSG), and the Dallas Telemation Team, two proposals were presented to the Choctaw.

• The first proposal involved an identical, brand new replacement for the NEC 2400 IPX.
• Then, because of Optus’ capabilities as a supplier of refurbished professional communications systems, the second proposal involved the installation of a like-for-like refurbished replacement system.

The Dallas team described the quality and economy benefits of a refurbished system to Choctaw and explained that a refurbished switch was in the Optus inventory and ready for installation and that, with a concerted team effort, it could be installed and operational in time for the casino’s grand opening. The refurbished switch had a 25% lower cost than a completely new unit, and carried the same warranty as a brand new switch.

Choctaw quickly agreed that purchasing a refurbished switch would be the path to take, and on February 14th, they gave the go-ahead to Optus to begin installation. While these discussions were taking place, Phillip Hager of the Jonesboro, Optus Telequip Test Team finished a lengthy quality check if a refurbished 2000 switch which Don then installed as a rental for the casino for a few weeks in order to provide them with immediate dial tone. The hotel of the casino was already in operation and taking reservations at that time the new switch was damaged!

Now came Don’s biggest challenge. He had just 14 days left to install the refurbished switch. Members of the Optus Professional Services Group dropped what they were doing and worked on configuring the refurbished 2400 IPX within three days. The Optus Test Team located in Jonesboro were instrumental in testing the refurbished circuit cards and modules. At the same time, the Optus Purchasing Department, was diligently working on finding other key components such as a new rectifier, batteries, and other peripheral equipment pieces. On Friday, February 17th, only one week after the original system was destroyed, plant operations, had the new switch crated up and shipped to Dallas for a Monday morning, February 20th delivery – only 8 days to zero hour!

On Tuesday, February 21st, lead technicians from Optus’ Houston office drove up to assist Don with the installation of the refurbished switch. The veteran technicians faced the inevitable challenges and hurdles during the installation, but on Thursday, February 23rd, they had the switch up and running. On Tuesday, February 28th, Optus was conducting training sessions with the casino’s 20 communications employees, fine-tuning the switch, and installing all of the more than 300 phones. By the end of the day, it was clear that the installation was a success. The hotel and the casino were humming with calls as the smiling staff hurried about and continued to prepare for their big day.

The success of the team’s emergency response effort is indicative of the length to which Optus will go to ensure client satisfaction. With this type of remarkable teamwork, it is evident why Optus has earned a respected nationwide reputation in the sales and installation of business communications equipment, and a big “yokoke” (thank you) from the Choctaw Indian Nation.