Why first-time fix rate is the metric
First-time fix rate (FTFR) — the percent of jobs resolved on the first visit — is the cleanest proxy for operational health in field service. A low FTFR means repeat truck rolls, frustrated customers, and evaporating margin.
The four causes of a failed first visit
- Wrong information. The job was misdiagnosed over the phone, so the tech showed up unprepared.
- Missing parts. The right part wasn't on the truck and wasn't ordered ahead.
- Skill mismatch. The job needed a specialist the dispatcher didn't assign.
- Access problems. No one home, gate locked, breaker inaccessible.
Fixing each one
- Better intake. Capture symptoms, equipment model, and photos during the booking call. A 90-second photo from the customer prevents half of all misdiagnoses.
- Smart truck stock + pre-orders. Stock the common parts; for known jobs, stage the specific part the night before.
- Skill-aware dispatch. Tag jobs with required skills and never auto-assign a job a tech can't complete.
- Confirm access. An automated "confirm someone will be home" text the morning of the visit.
Track it honestly
Measure FTFR per technician and per job type. You'll usually find that a few job types drag the whole number down — and those are where targeted truck-stock or training changes pay off fastest.
The target
Most healthy residential operations land at 75–85% FTFR. Below 70%, you're losing real money to repeat visits. Above 90%, you may be over-staffing trucks — there's a cost balance.