ARC Upgrades Specialist Training and Certification

travel agentBased on feedback from numerous travel agency customers, ARC reports it has updated and enhanced its ARC Specialist Training & Certification Program. The change will affect more than 9,400 current and future ARC Specialists who serve their agencies as experts in various protocols that support their companies’ interactions with ARC, ARC says.

A highlight of the upgraded program is the elimination of the exam that was required every four years to continue the designation of ARC Specialist. ARC says it will now require those travel agents who want to retain their ARC Specialist certification to complete a once a year online continuing education module, which includes assessment questions.

The first updated module topic is fraud prevention, available at http://arconlinetraining.com, ARC says. More modules will be added throughout the year, which speak directly to today’s travel agency business, including ticketing and reporting functions. 

ARC also addressed current business realities by updating content on the initial certification exam for new ARC Specialists. All modules and content are provided by an updated user interface, ARC notes.  

“Customers told us that they didn't like taking the same test over again every four years. So we fixed that,” said Jeannine Hankinson, ARC’s managing director of agency services. “The online continuing education modules are presented with an updated user-friendly interface, as is the modernized initial certification exam, which will be less costly and time-consuming for agents while ensuring they remain current with all the issues affecting their business. This new program is another result of ARC’s efforts to deepen the engagement with agencies, which has brought significant process improvements that are good for them, good for us and good for the industry overall.”

Travel agents wishing to become ARC Specialists will have the option of taking the updated certification course and exam online using a new, more user-friendly hosting platform or in a classroom setting at ARC’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.  

Visit www.arccorp.com/support/training-arc-specialist.jsp