What is First-Time Fix Rate?

The first-time fix rate is a metric to identify how often your technician successfully completes a job the first and only time they visit a site. You can measure your field service team’s FTFR by including factors such as: - The experience and skills your field service team has - The complexity of the service - Quality of tools used for the job - The resources available to complete a task [johnsonbox title="Want To See For Yourself How Route4Me Can Help Improve First-time Fix Rate?" button="GET STARTED" text=" Whether you want to optimize routes, track vehicles and technicians in real-time, or keep your customers satisfied knowing that your technicians show up on time… Route4Me helps you achieve that!"][/johnsonbox]

Why is First-time Fix Rate Important?

A poor first-time fix rate means that your team isn’t working efficiently. Below are several reasons FTFR is essential. Reduce Costs Regularly visiting a customer to complete a task that could have been done in one visit can increase company costs. You need to pay more for fuel and resources, and your team will have less time to visit other customers. Completing a job successfully the first time will lower transportation costs and increase your profit margin. Plus, your team will have more time to complete more tasks and increase revenue. [caption id="attachment_18520" align="aligncenter" width="724"] Image credit: Dilok Klaisataporn/iStockphoto.com[/caption] Make Customers Happy Customers' number one complaint about service field organizations is unfinished projects or tasks. According to the 2020 ACA report , you could lose 96% of customers due to bad service. Incomplete jobs cause customers to feel stressed because now they have to send emails or phone your company to get your team to finish a job. When your team completes a job successfully the first time, it will improve customer satisfaction and help you retain them. You also have the potential to attract new customers through good word-of-mouth advertising from happy customers. Reduce Frustration When your field service team can’t meet customer demands, they have to deal with the frustration of angry customers. Additionally, a poor fix-rate time will slow down productivity, and your team will struggle to meet deadlines. On the other hand, a high FTFR will improve operational efficiency and productivity.

How to Calculate the First-time Fix Rate (FTFR)?

The first-time fix rate calculation is pretty straightforward. Simply add the total number of service requests resolved on the first visit to a customer and divide it by the total number of service requests resolved in a day. First-time fix rate = Total service requests resolved on the first visit / total service requests resolved. You must constantly adjust your processes to improve your FTFR to meet changing demands and retain your customers.

What is a Good First-Time Fix Rate?

Having a high first-time fix rate is an indication of high-quality services. But a low rate means you are not meeting your targets efficiently, and you may need to restructure your processes. An excellent first-time fix rate is between 79% and 90%. But, an excellent first-time fix rate will also depend on your industry. For example, a delivery company won’t have the same FTFR as a mobile service company because they use different resources and processes. According to a report by Aberdeen Group, top-performing companies have a first-time fix rate of 89%. Companies that perform poorly have an FTFR of 56% or lower. However, the industry average is around 75%. Needless to say, you must stay above the first-time fix rate industry standard to be successful.

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How Field Service Businesses Can Improve First-Time Fix Rate

Learn everything you need to know about first-time fix rate (FTFR) and how to improve it.

August 11, 2023