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First Time Fix Rate? What It Measures, and How to Improve It
First time fix rate, or FTFR, is the share of service jobs resolved on the first visit, with no return trip. It’s the headline metric of field service efficiency. A low FTFR means repeat visits, idle assets and unhappy customers, usually because the tech arrived without the right part, information or skills.
Why does first time fix rate matter?
First time fix rate matters because every job that needs a second visit doubles the travel and time, keeps the customer’s asset down longer, and chips away at satisfaction and contract renewals. It is the clearest single measure of whether a field service process actually works. A low rate almost always traces back to the technician arriving without the right part, information or skills.
What does a missed first fix cost?
A missed first fix costs far more than the fuel for a second visit:
- Every repeat visit is a second lot of travel, time and cost.
- The asset stays down longer, so the customer’s loss grows too.
- It’s the clearest signal of whether your service process actually works.
- It ties straight to customer satisfaction and contract renewals.
How do you improve first time fix rate?
Fix the reasons techs come back. Send the right diagnosis and history ahead of the visit, stock the van from the likely fault, and give the tech the digital work instructions and asset record on a device. Feed repeat failures into root cause analysis, because the same fault failing twice is a process problem, not bad luck.
What drives first time fix rate?
The reasons a tech comes back, and the fix for each.
| Reason for a repeat visit | The fix |
|---|---|
| Wrong or missing part | Predict the part from the fault, stock the van |
| Poor diagnosis before arrival | Send history and remote data ahead |
| Skills gap | Match the tech to the job; give instructions on device |
| No asset history on site | Digital asset record, available offline |
Related Terms
- Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) – repeat visits inflate it.
- Manufacturing Asset Management – the asset history a fix needs.
- First Time Right (FTR)
