The slightest error can mean the difference between a positive client experience and lost business in field service management (FSM). The inability to handle field service requests on the first fix is one of the “mistakes” that negatively impacts customer satisfaction.
Showing up is insufficient in today’s atmosphere of intense competition and changing customer expectations. Field Service Organizations (FSOs) must make sure that the field service agent arrives at the location with the tools, know-how, and resources necessary to address the issue on the spot. There is no room for failure! Return visits by field service representatives result in higher expenditures and an accidental loss of a client.
Customers today prioritize convenience and expect a high level of enhance customer service. This trend is evident across all industries, including field service operations. As a result, companies must strive to deliver convenient experiences in order to remain competitive and meet customer expectations.
In this article, we will learn how to improve first time fix rates. Let’s dive right in!
The first-time fix rate (FTFR meaning) is a measure of how often field service technicians are able to successfully complete a job on their first visit. This means that they are able to fix the problem without needing additional parts, information, or expert support, and without the need for repeat visits or additional call-outs. Achieving a FTFR of close to 90% is considered to be high, while a FTFR of less than 70% may put the success of the organization at risk.
A high FTFR is important for ensuring customer satisfaction, as it demonstrates the ability of the company to effectively resolve issues without the need for multiple visits. Monitoring and improving the FTFR is therefore a key focus for companies that prioritize customer satisfaction.
To calculate your first-time fix rate (FTFR), you can divide the total number of jobs completed on the first visit by the total number of jobs completed. This will give you a percentage representation of your FTFR. For example, if you completed 100 jobs and were able to fix all of them on the first visit, your FTFR would be 100%. If you completed 100 jobs and were only able to fix 80 of them on the first visit, your FTFR would be 80%. This calculation is a simple way to track and measure your FTFR.
The first-time fix rate (FTFR) is an important metric for tracking the effectiveness of a field service company. Research suggests that top-performing companies typically have an FTFR of around 89%, while poorly performing companies have an FTFR of only 56%. The industry average for FTFR is around 75%. It is clear that there is a significant difference in FTFR between high-performing and low-performing companies, and that achieving a high FTFR is important for the success of a field service organization. Improving the FTFR can have a significant impact on customer satisfaction and the overall efficiency of the company. Therefore, it is important for field service companies to regularly track and try to improve their FTFR in order to stay competitive and deliver high-quality service to their customers.
Your organization’s success is significantly impacted by your first-time repair rate. According to a recent survey, businesses with FTFRs of over 70% had customer retention rates of 86%.
Knowing your CSAT score is crucial because customer satisfaction and retention are related. CSAT, which stands for “Customer Satisfaction,” measures how well your clients think of your performance. Therefore, it is crucial that you conduct frequent surveys to get feedback from your clients. With this, you are better equipped to calculate your CSAT score and determine the real influence of FTFR. Additionally, high levels of customer experience will affect your business’s bottom line generally. For instance, best-in-class field service providers were able to boost their revenue margins by 30% when they achieved 90% higher CSAT scores.
In addition to a rise in client loyalty brought on by high first-time fix percentages, you can anticipate further advantages like:
It will be easier to do more in less time if you include FTFR as a KPI in your performance reports. Employees will have more time to perform other responsibilities if enquiries are answered the first time. You’ll decrease the time it takes to respond to subsequent service requests when technicians are freed up to concentrate on first-time visits rather than recurring trips.
For businesses, keeping COPQ low and FTFR high is essential for success. To do that, businesses need to implement effective quality management systems and continuous improvement processes to identify and address issues related to COPQ, monitor and improve their FTFR rate, as well as always strive to improve customer satisfaction.
Less site visits are associated with greater first time fix rate industry standard rates. As a result, less time and money will be lost on costly follow-up visits. Additionally, first-time fix rates will lower the amount of money you expend on acquiring new clients by increasing customer retention rates.
You may show clients how much you care about providing high-quality service by getting high FTFR scores. Better CSAT ratings will also result from improved service efficiencies. This increases consumer loyalty and lowers the possibility of losing customers.
The Plutomen AR suite is a set of tools that uses augmented reality (AR) technology to help increase first-time fix rates in a variety of industrial settings. The suite includes several key tools, including AR remote assistance, AR work instructions, and AR training. Here’s an overview of how Plutomen can help increase FTFR:
AR-powered remote visual assistance can help increase first-time fix rates by allowing technicians to receive real-time guidance and support from experts remotely. The use of augmented reality technology allows the expert to overlay digital information and guidance directly onto the technician’s view of the physical equipment, providing a more intuitive and efficient way to troubleshoot and repair problems.
One of the key advantages of AR-powered remote visual assistance is that it allows for real-time collaboration between technicians and experts, regardless of their physical location. This can greatly accelerate problem-solving and reduce the time required to fix a problem. Additionally, by using AR, the expert can see exactly what the technician sees and can provide guidance in real-time, reducing the chances of errors and increasing efficiency.
Plutomen Connect is an AR-based remote visual assistance tool that allows real-time collaboration between technicians and experts over video call. Bu using effective hands-on drawing and AR annotations, technicians can troubleshoot more accurately and swiftly.
Good work instructions should be accessible on-demand, allowing technicians to quickly reference the information they need to complete tasks correctly. Digital Work instructions can exactly help you do that. They provide clear, step-by-step guidance for completing tasks, reducing the chance of errors and increasing efficiency. They can help increase first-time fix rates by providing clear, accurate, and up-to-date information to technicians. Additionally, digital work instructions can be easily created and updated, ensuring that technicians always have access to the most current information.
Plutomen Workflow is an AR-enabled Digital Work Instructions software that helps you create interactive work instructions with multimedia embedding feature, which can help to simplify complex procedures and increase understanding. By using Plutomen Workflow, your experts can access built-in quality checklists, allowing technicians to confirm that they have completed a task correctly before moving on to the next step. This can help to ensure that the task is done correctly the first time, reducing the need for rework and increasing overall productivity.
AR-powered training can help increase first-time fix rates by providing your workers hands-on, interactive training that can help new technicians quickly learn the skills they need to be successful on the job. The use of augmented reality technology allows for a more immersive and realistic training experience, where the trainee can interact with virtual equipment in a way that closely mimics the real-world scenario.
One of the key advantages of AR-powered 3D training is that it allows for a more efficient and effective way to train new technicians, reducing the time it takes for them to become fully proficient in their tasks. The immersive and interactive nature of AR training can help to improve retention and understanding of the material, leading to a faster learning curve.
Plutomen Assist is an AR powered training software that help experts create, import, and update their own 3D training material and learn important nitty-gritty details using 3D visualization. Our software can be used to provide ongoing training and support to experienced technicians, allowing them to stay up-to-date with the latest procedures, techniques and technologies. This can help to ensure that all technicians are working with the most current information, reducing the chances of errors and increasing efficiency.
A useful indicator to monitor the effectiveness of your service staff, enhance customer service, and increase profitability is the first-time fix rate. But keep in mind not to believe everything you hear. Consider your method of FTFR measurement. Consider alternative indicators you can track in addition to FTFR to get a more comprehensive picture of your team’s effectiveness and to spot any gaps in your service process. By doing this, you can obtain a more precise measurement that can help you pinpoint areas in need of improvement.
Plutomen’s product suite comprises three products – Connect, Workflow and Assist, that play a key role in helping enterprises achieve high FTFRs. From training right to AR powered remote visual assistance, the products extend the abilities of your workforce. Take a demo today!
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With 10+ years' experience of Hiren Kanani has helped Plutomen ensure smooth communication between the company and the client for swift project delivery with fewer iterations. He is CTO & founder at Plutomen.
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