Guides ·
Field service KPIs: first-time fix rate, response time and repeat visits
Definitions, formulas and measurement choices for first-time fix rate, response time and repeat visits, with Aquant's 2026 benchmarks and the data an FSM system needs to capture.
By Upvantix team
First-time fix rate (FTFR) is the share of service jobs resolved on the first visit, with no follow-up visit needed within a set window. Divide jobs fixed on the first visit by all jobs that needed a visit, then multiply by 100. Response time is the time from a customer logging a request to a technician starting work, usually split into time to dispatch and time to arrive. Repeat visits count the jobs that needed more than one visit, or how soon you return to the same asset.
Benchmarks depend heavily on how you define them. In Aquant's 2026 Field Service Benchmark Report, the industry benchmark for first-time fix is 77%, top-performing companies reach 88% and the bottom group sits at 60%. Aquant defines first-time fix as a case resolved on the first onsite visit.
These three KPIs pull against each other. Rushing to arrive faster without the right part or information lowers first-time fix and creates repeat visits. Track them together.
First-time fix rate: definition and formula
FTFR (%) = jobs resolved on the first onsite visit ÷ all jobs that required an onsite visit × 100.
Decide these before you report the number:
- Denominator: only jobs that needed a visit. Jobs resolved remotely are excluded, so they don't inflate the rate.
- Window: how long a job must stay fixed to count. A fix followed by a return visit for the same fault 3 days later is not a first-time fix. Aquant's 2025 report measured FTF at 30 days and argued that shorter or longer windows skew results.
- Same issue vs new issue: link repeat visits to the original job or asset and fault, not just the customer.
- Planned multi-visit jobs: installations planned in stages shouldn't count as failures. Tag them as planned.
Response time: what to measure
Response time isn't a single number. Measure the parts separately.
Report against the SLA each contract promises (for example, by priority) rather than one average. A fleet average hides the priority-1 jobs that breached.
Aquant's 2026 report benchmarks time to resolution rather than onsite response. It measures MTTR from case open to case closed, in days: 4.6 days for the industry benchmark, about 2.5 days for top performers and just over 10 days (10.1) for the bottom group. It also reports that each failed visit adds roughly 13.7 days to resolution.
- Time to acknowledge: request logged to request accepted.
- Time to dispatch: request logged to technician assigned.
- Time to arrive (onsite response): request logged to technician onsite.
- Time to resolution (MTTR): request logged to job closed as resolved.
Repeat visits: two ways to count them
In Aquant's 2026 report, the industry benchmark MTBV is 83 days, top performers reach 133 days and bottom performers 48 days. Counting only onsite field visits, the figures are 88, 136 and 51 days. Aquant reports that failed field visits account for about 25% of total service cost at the industry benchmark, 14% for top performers and 44% for bottom performers.
- Repeat visit rate (%) = jobs needing more than one onsite visit ÷ all jobs with an onsite visit × 100. This is roughly the mirror image of FTFR, using the same window and rules.
- Mean time between visits (MTBV): average days between service interactions for the same asset. Higher is better.
Why first-time fixes fail
Common causes to check in your own job data. Capture a reason code on every job that isn't fixed first time. Without it you can measure the rate but not improve it.
- Wrong or missing part on the van
- Incomplete fault information at booking (symptoms, model, serial number, photos)
- Technician skill mismatch for the asset or fault
- No access to asset service history or manuals onsite
- Customer not available or asset not accessible
The data your FSM system must capture
| Criterion | Data needed in FSM |
|---|---|
| First-time fix | Job and visit records linked to the asset; resolution status per visit; reason code for not fixed; planned multi-visit flag |
| Response time | Timestamps for logged, accepted, dispatched, en route, onsite and closed; priority and SLA per job |
| Repeat visits | Asset or serial number on every job; link from a follow-up job to the original |
| Failure causes | Parts used vs parts needed; technician skills; remote triage attempted (yes/no) |
Where Upvantix Field Service Management fits
Upvantix Field Service Management is designed to connect service requests, field service work orders, scheduling and dispatch, mobile field execution and the installed-asset service history in one record. Work orders carry the customer, site, installed equipment, priority and status, and technicians capture photos, notes and service reports in the field. That connected record is the data these KPIs are calculated from.
Field service KPIs: FAQ
What is first-time fix rate in field service?
The percentage of service jobs that need an onsite visit and are resolved on the first visit, with no return for the same issue within a set window.
How do you calculate first-time fix rate?
Divide jobs resolved on the first onsite visit by all jobs that required an onsite visit, then multiply by 100. Leave out jobs resolved remotely and stage-planned jobs.
What is a good first-time fix rate?
It depends on industry and definition. Aquant's 2026 benchmark puts the industry figure at 77%, top performers at 88% and bottom performers at 60%. Compare against benchmarks that use the same definition as you.
What is the difference between response time and resolution time?
Response time runs from the request to a technician starting work, usually onsite arrival. Resolution time runs from the request to the job being closed as resolved.
How do you reduce repeat visits?
Collect better fault information at booking, send the right parts and skills, give technicians the asset's history onsite, and record a reason code for every job not fixed first time.