These changes are a direct result of customer feedback regarding a need to simplify the personnel requirements for branch locations. Many customers have advised that the individual ARC Specialist Qualifier (ASQ) and Management Qualifier (MQ) requirements for branches do not correlate to the daily operations of a branch location.
The chart below demonstrates the current branch requirements versus the new branch requirements effective March 15, 2010.
| Current Branch Requirements | March 2010 Branch Requirements |
|---|---|
| MQ and ASQ at every branch location | MQ and ASQ required at HOL only; The MQ and ASQ for the HOL can be the employee named as the representative for multiple Branch Locations |
| No ability to have a non-MQ/ASQ employee responsible for the ARC branches | Ability to name an employee that does not have the MQ or ASQ certification as the person responsible for making management decisions for the branch locations. For example, the HOL is in New York with an MQ and ASQ. The most skilled employee with respect to ARC requirements for branches is in Florida and they are not an MQ or ASQ. There will now be a field on the branch application to name an individual who will make the management decisions for the branch and is the person ARC should contact, if necessary. A PHF form will be required |
| MQ and ASQ must work full time with full time defined as 35 hours. | The Agent Reporting Agreement no longer defines the length of hours that equal full time. The Agreement continues to state that the MQ and ASQ must work full time; however, the entity determines what hours are best for its operations |
Effective March 15, 2010, no new applications will be processed for Satellite Ticket Printers (STP), Onsite Branch (OSB), or Restricted Access (RA). The number of applications ARC received for these entity types was an average of 4-5 per year over the last two years. Discussions with customers as to why the drop was so significant indicated that most were using Centralized Service Locations (CSL) and Ticket Fulfillment Locations (TFL) in lieu of these location types. All existing accredited locations are grandfathered and will continue with this form of accreditation. We are no longer taking any new applications for these location types as of the effective date.
Q: What if I need to open a location that previously fell under the STP, OSB or RA qualifications and I do not want to utilize a CSL or TFL?
A: You will simply file a branch application. The personnel requirements for MQ and ASQ have been removed. In lieu of having all of these subsets of types of branches, ARC is trying to simplify the process and call these locations branches. Whether they are on a customer premises, restricted, etc. is no longer a determining factor resulting in identifiers such as OSB etc.
