KPI of the Month: First Time Fix Rate

This is the first article in our KPI Deep Dive series, where we explore the metrics that define field service success. We begin with First Time Fix Rate (FTFR) - the KPI that reveals how effectively service teams resolve issues on the first visit, balancing efficiency, cost, and customer trust.

What It Really Measures

Ask any field service leader their go-to performance metric, and you’ll hear it immediately - First Time Fix Rate (FTFR). It’s simple, visible, and widely benchmarked. But while it looks like a straightforward measure of efficiency, FTFR tells a deeper story about your organization’s data, process readiness, and customer experience maturity.

Definition: FTFR = (Jobs Fixed on First Visit ÷ Total Jobs) × 100

At its core, it measures how often technicians resolve an issue on the first visit - without needing a follow-up, missing part, or additional expertise.
However, not all “fixes” are created equal. Some organizations count a work order as “fixed” when the technician closes it, even if the customer’s problem persists. The best-run service teams define a fix as customer resolution, not system closure.

Why it Matters

FTFR sits at the heart of operational performance and customer satisfaction, which is why it appears in every mature service dashboard. A high FTFR means fewer truck rolls, lower cost-to-serve, and faster customer resolution. A low one signals inefficiencies across scheduling, inventory, and knowledge sharing.

According to Aberdeen Group, a 10% improvement in FTFR can lead to:

• 14% lower service costs,

• 17% higher workforce productivity, and

• 20% improvement in customer satisfaction.

That’s why FTFR acts as a bridge metric in the Field Service KPI Framework, connecting operational KPIs (efficiency and cost) with customer KPIs (trust and experience).
When it drops, it’s rarely a technician issue. It’s a sign that systems, data, or processes aren’t supporting them enough to succeed the first time.

Why FTFR Drops, and How to Improve It

FTFR failures usually trace back to the same few themes like incomplete information, poor parts planning, or disconnected tools.
Here’s how to fix the KPI from the ground up:

People:

• Train technicians on diagnostic accuracy and customer communication.

• Enable use of self-help for technicians and AI-assisted troubleshooting tools.

• Encourage knowledge-sharing and collaborative ecosystem.

• Shift the mindset from “close fast” to “close right.”

Process:

• Ensure accurate job scoping at dispatch by including detailed service history and asset data.

• Optimize processes to ensure more time on the job by reducing admin tasks for technicians.

• Improve spare parts forecasting and warehouse visibility.

• Build closed-loop feedback into every repeat visit to identify recurring failure types.

Technology:

• Integrate IoT alerts and predictive analytics for pre-diagnosis.

• Use AI-powered scheduling to match technicians by skill, part, and proximity.

• Enable mobile access to knowledge bases and support solutions in the field.

What Good FTFR Looks Like

Across manufacturing and automotive, the First Time Fix Rate (FTFR) generally ranges from 75% to 90%, depending on service complexity, technician skill, and parts availability. In highly technical environments like industrial machinery or energy equipment, rates near 70% can still indicate solid performance, while for HVAC and consumer service, anything below 80% often signals inefficiencies.

Benchmarking FTFR without context can be misleading. Many organizations count a job as “fixed” when the ticket is closed, even if the issue required follow-up, additional parts, or a return visit. Mature service teams measure true customer resolution, not administrative closure. That difference separates high data accuracy from vanity metrics.

Top-performing organizations focus less on the number and more on how they achieve it. Their success typically reflects:

• Clear definitions: consistent KPI interpretation across all service lines.

• Enablement over control: technicians empowered with real-time data, not micromanaged by dashboards.

• Closed-loop learning: every repeat visit feeding root-cause insights into training, inventory, or diagnostics.

A great FTFR isn’t about speed, it’s about setting every technician up to succeed on the first attempt.

Related Metrics

FTFR, when viewed alongside these related KPIs, offers a holistic picture of service efficiency, technician performance, and customer experience:

• Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) - average repair time per job.

• Repeat Visit Rate (RVR) - % of cases needing rework.

• Parts Fill Rate - parts availability on the first visit.

• Customer Effort Score (CES) - ease of problem resolution.

Stay tuned on SmartServiceOps and LinkedIn for more articles in the KPI of the Month series.
Explore the Field Service KPI Framework to learn how operational, customer, and strategic KPIs connect to drive service transformation.

High FTFR isn’t the goal, consistent learning from every visit is.

How close is your team to that mindset?

Author Info

Written by Mihir Joshi

After 15 years working with leading manufacturers, I created SmartServiceOps to share practical insights for the field service industry.