Repair Shop KPIs: The Numbers That Actually Matter

Repair Shop KPIs: 12 Metrics Every Owner Should Track (And How to Fix Them)

By Sajad, Co-founder at cellbot — 25 years in the tech repair industry Published: 16 September 2025

I've spent 25 years in tech repair. I've run shops, trained staff, sourced parts, dealt with suppliers, and watched competitors open and close. In all that time, the single clearest difference between shops that thrive and shops that quietly die is this: the owners who survive know their numbers.

Not vaguely. Not "I think we do about 10 repairs a day." Precisely.

Most repair shop owners are technicians first. They got into the business because they're brilliant with their hands, not because they love spreadsheets. I understand that completely — I'm the same. But at some point, running on gut instinct stops working. The shop gets busier, costs creep up, and suddenly you're doing more work but somehow earning less.

That's when KPIs become your survival tool.

This article covers the 12 metrics that matter most for a repair shop, from the ones that affect your cash flow this week to the ones that determine whether you're building a business worth owning five years from now. For each one, I'll tell you how to calculate it, what good looks like, what bad looks like, and one concrete thing you can do to move it in the right direction.

Let's get into it.

Key Takeaways - The 12 KPIs that matter most for repair shops cover cash flow, throughput, customer acquisition, and operational efficiency — you don't need 40 metrics, you need the right 12 tracked consistently - A healthy repair shop targets an average repair value of £100-£160, 10-15 repairs per day, and a net profit margin of 15-20% - Most struggling shops aren't failing because of skill or effort — they're failing because they can't see the problem clearly without measuring the right numbers - First-time fix rate, enquiry-to-booking conversion, and customer lifetime value are the three KPIs most shops don't track but should - Start with the two or three KPIs furthest from target, build simple measurement habits, and review weekly

What Are KPIs and Why Do Repair Shops Need Them?

Without KPIs, you're flying blind. You might feel busy, but busy and profitable are not the same thing. I've seen shops doing 20 repairs a day that were haemorrhaging money because their average ticket was low, their margins were thin, and they were converting enquiries at 20% when industry average is closer to 50%.

You don't need 40 metrics. You need the right 12, tracked consistently, with a plan to act on what you find.

KPI 1: Average Repair Value (ARV) — Are Your Prices Right?

ARV = Total Repair Revenue ÷ Number of Repairs Completed

Example: If you completed 120 repairs in a month and generated £12,000 in repair revenue, your ARV is £100.

What good looks like: £100–£160 ($100–$200). Screen replacements dominate volume — around 62% of the average shop's repair mix — which keeps ARV moderate. If you're mixing in logic board repairs, water damage, and data recovery, you'll be towards the upper end.

What bad looks like: Below £70. At that level, with typical operating costs of £8,000–£20,000 per month, you'd need an unrealistic volume of repairs just to break even.

The fix: Stop discounting to win jobs. Discounting ARV by 10% means you need 11% more repairs to generate the same revenue. Instead, audit your pricing against local competitors. If you're cheaper than everyone within five miles and still not busy, price isn't your problem — visibility is. Raise prices to market rate and invest the margin into marketing.

KPI 2: Repairs Per Day — Are You Hitting Break-Even?

Repairs Per Day = Total Repairs Completed ÷ Number of Working Days

Track this weekly and monthly to spot trends. A single bad day doesn't matter. A consistent downward trend does.

What good looks like: 10–15 repairs per day for a one-technician operation with a good ARV. At £100 ARV and 12 repairs per day, you're generating £1,200/day — roughly £24,000/month, which aligns with established shop averages.

What bad looks like: Fewer than 5 repairs per day is a red flag. At that volume, most shops are losing money regardless of pricing.

The fix: Map where your customers are coming from. If walk-in traffic is the problem, your signage, Google Business Profile visibility, or location may be the issue. If enquiries are coming in but not converting to bookings, jump to KPI 10 — your conversion process is broken. Don't confuse busy with productive either: count completed repairs, not started ones.

KPI 3: First-Time Fix Rate — Are Your Technicians Good Enough?

First-Time Fix Rate = (Repairs Completed Without Rework ÷ Total Repairs Started) × 100

You need to track returns — jobs that come back because the fault wasn't fixed or a new fault was introduced. If your job management system doesn't flag these automatically, you're almost certainly underestimating your rework rate.

What good looks like: 85–92%. At 90%, you're performing at the level of a well-run shop with experienced technicians and good parts sourcing.

What bad looks like: Below 75%. Every rework job costs you double in labour, erodes customer trust, and can generate a negative review that takes months to bury.

The fix: Invest in diagnosis before repair. The single biggest cause of low first-time fix rates isn't technician skill — it's rushing the diagnostic phase. Spend two minutes more on initial assessment. Use proper diagnostic tools. Document the fault clearly before touching the device. If a specific repair type keeps coming back (water damage, for example), consider whether it belongs on your service menu at all, or whether it needs a specialist referral process.

KPI 4: Turnaround Time — Are You Fast Enough to Keep Customers Happy?

Turnaround Time = Average (Collection DateTime − Drop-Off DateTime) across all jobs

Your job management software should calculate this automatically. If you're doing it manually, spot-check a sample of 20 completed jobs each week.

What good looks like: Same-day for iPhone screen replacements, Samsung screen replacements, and battery swaps. These account for the majority of your volume and customers expect fast service. A 2–4 hour promise outperforms most chains.

What bad looks like: More than 24 hours for a straightforward screen repair is difficult to justify unless you have a parts sourcing issue. If a customer can walk to a competitor and get it done in an hour, you're losing jobs before they start.

The fix: Stock your most common parts. Running lean on inventory to save cash is a false economy if it adds a day to every other repair. Calculate which 10 parts cover 80% of your volume — those belong in your fast-access stock. For less common repairs, set realistic expectations upfront and communicate proactively if timelines slip. The silence between drop-off and collection is where customer anxiety lives.

For a deeper look at structuring your operations around speed, see our repair shop operations playbook.

KPI 5: Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) — Are You Spending Wisely on Marketing?

Customer Acquisition Cost is the total spend required to bring in one new paying customer. Benchmarks by channel: Google Ads £16–£32 ($20–$40), Local SEO £4–£12 ($5–$15), Social Media £12–£24 ($15–$30), Referral programmes £4–£8 ($5–$10). Use this benchmark to track repair shop ad spend before increasing budget.

CAC = Total Marketing Spend on a Channel ÷ New Customers Acquired from That Channel

This requires tracking where customers come from, which most shops don't do rigorously enough. At minimum, ask every new customer "how did you find us?" and record the answer.

What good looks like: CAC well below your ARV, with strong CLV (see KPI 6). If your ARV is £120 and CAC via Google Ads is £30, you're recovering the acquisition cost on the first job and everything after that is pure relationship value.

What bad looks like: CAC exceeding your ARV means you're paying more to acquire a customer than you make from them on the first visit. This is survivable if CLV is strong, but dangerous if customers never return.

The fix: Prioritise channels with low CAC first. Referral and organic SEO are your most efficient acquisition channels long-term. Google Ads are fine for filling gaps, but you should be working towards a position where most new customers find you organically or through word of mouth. Track CAC by channel religiously — you may discover you're spending £500/month on social media that generates three customers, while your Google Business Profile is driving 30 for free.

KPI 6: Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) — Are You Thinking Long-Term?

CLV = Average Order Value × Average Number of Visits Per Year × Average Customer Lifespan (Years)

Example: £110 ARV × 0.77 visits/year × 3 years = £254 CLV per customer.

What good looks like: A CLV of £200–£300 is typical for a shop with decent retention. Shops with strong loyalty programmes, proactive follow-up, and consistently good service push CLV into the £400+ range.

What bad looks like: If customers come once and never return, your CLV approximates your ARV. That means every customer costs you the full CAC with no compounding return.

The fix: Implement basic retention mechanics. A follow-up message at 90 days ("How's your phone holding up?") costs you nothing and reminds satisfied customers you exist. Offer screen protector fitting at point of collection — it's a small upsell that keeps customers engaged with your shop rather than a competitor the next time something breaks.

KPI 7: Gross Margin — Are Your Prices Covering Your Costs?

Gross Margin = ((Revenue − Cost of Parts and Direct Labour) ÷ Revenue) × 100

Example: A screen repair priced at £80 using a £22 part and £15 in direct labour has a gross margin of 54%.

What good looks like: 45–55% on bread-and-butter screen and battery repairs. Higher on accessories, data recovery, and complex logic board work.

What bad looks like: Below 35%. At that level, your overheads (rent, utilities, insurance, software) will almost certainly push you into negative net profit territory unless your volume is exceptional.

The fix: Audit your parts suppliers. Many shops pay over the odds because they've never renegotiated. If you're doing consistent volume, you should be getting bulk pricing. Also check whether your pricing reflects your parts costs — if you haven't raised prices since your supplier increased their rates, your margin has been silently shrinking. A quarterly pricing review is not optional; it's basic financial hygiene.

KPI 8: Net Profit Margin — Is the Business Actually Making Money?

Net Profit Margin = (Net Profit ÷ Total Revenue) × 100

Net Profit = Total Revenue − Total Costs (everything)

What good looks like: 15–20%. At £24,000/month revenue, that's £3,600–£4,800 in actual profit after you've paid yourself a proper wage. That's what allows reinvestment, savings, and resilience.

What bad looks like: Under 5%. Many shop owners mistake revenue for profit. I've spoken to owners turning over £30K/month who take home less than minimum wage once all costs are accounted for. Volume disguises bad margins.

The fix: Run a proper monthly P&L. Not mental arithmetic — an actual profit and loss statement. Know your fixed costs to the penny. Identify which cost lines have crept up without a corresponding pricing review. The most common culprits are supplier price increases, payment processing fees, and staff costs that haven't been matched by revenue growth.

See our repair shop management software guide for tools that automate financial reporting.

KPI 9: Parts Wastage Rate — Are You Losing Money on Broken Parts?

Parts Wastage Rate = (Number of Wasted/Damaged Parts ÷ Total Parts Used) × 100

Track this by technician and by part type. A 5% overall rate might be hiding one technician wasting 15% of their OLED screens.

What good looks like: Under 3%. In a busy shop handling 300 repairs per month, that's fewer than 9 parts wasted.

What bad looks like: Over 5% is costing you serious money. If your average part costs £25 and you're wasting 5% of 300 parts per month, that's £375/month in direct losses — and that's before you account for the labour time and customer disruption of a failed repair.

The fix: Track wastage at technician level and review regularly in supervision. Don't be punitive — make it about learning. Some repairs, particularly delicate flex cables and OLED screens, need specialised training. Consider whether your suppliers' quality is consistent. Cheap parts from unreliable suppliers often have higher failure rates that only become apparent after installation.

KPI 10: Enquiry-to-Booking Conversion Rate — Are You Losing Sales Before They Start?

Conversion Rate = (Number of Bookings ÷ Number of Enquiries) × 100

This requires logging all enquiries, including ones that don't convert. Most shops only count successful bookings and never see the gap.

What good looks like: 50–60%. If half of everyone who contacts you books a job, your pricing is competitive, your response is prompt, and your service presentation builds trust.

What bad looks like: Under 30%. At 25% conversion, for every four people who contact you, three walk away to a competitor. That's three lost revenue opportunities and potentially three negative impressions of your shop.

The fix: Speed of response is the single biggest conversion lever. A study by Harvard Business Review found that responding to web enquiries within five minutes makes you 100x more likely to qualify the lead than responding after 30 minutes. In repair, the equivalent is answering your phone and responding to web chat immediately. AI-powered quoting tools that give instant prices 24/7 can dramatically improve your out-of-hours conversion rate. Our guide on AI quoting and device identification covers this in depth.

KPI 11: Google Review Score — What Does Your Reputation Say About You?

How to calculate it: You can't calculate it, but you can influence it. Monitor it weekly. Track your average score and total review count as formal metrics.

What good looks like: 4.7–4.9 stars with 100+ reviews. At this level, you're outperforming most local competitors and the volume of reviews provides social proof that a handful of ratings cannot.

What bad looks like: Under 4.0 stars, or a strong score with fewer than 20 reviews. A 4.8 from 15 people carries far less weight than a 4.6 from 200 people.

The fix: Ask every satisfied customer for a review — but ask at the right moment. The best time is when they collect a working device and express happiness with the result. A simple text message with a direct link to your Google review page, sent at collection, converts at 15–25%. Don't be passive about it. Reviews don't accumulate by accident; they accumulate because you have a system. Automate the follow-up message through your CRM so no satisfied customer slips through without being asked.

KPI 12: Staff Utilisation Rate — Are You Getting Enough From Your Team?

Utilisation Rate = (Billable Hours Worked ÷ Total Available Hours) × 100

Example: A technician works an 8-hour day. If 6.5 of those hours are spent on actual repair work (versus admin, waiting for parts, or downtime), their utilisation rate is 81%.

What good looks like: 75–85%. This is the productive sweet spot — technicians are busy but not overwhelmed, which maintains quality and first-time fix rates.

What bad looks like: Below 60% means either you don't have enough volume to justify your current staffing level, or your workflow has significant dead time built in. Above 90% long-term burns people out and tends to produce rushed work with poor first-time fix rates.

The fix: Map your technicians' time for a week. You'll likely find dead time clustering around parts fetching, ticket administration, and waiting for customer responses. Fixing workflow inefficiencies — centralising parts storage, using a job management system that auto-updates tickets — can add 30–60 minutes of billable time per technician per day without hiring anyone. At £100 ARV and 45 extra minutes per day, that's potentially £25–£35 in additional daily revenue per technician, compounding across your whole team. See our guide on repair shop automation for specific workflow improvements.

How to Build a KPI Dashboard Without Losing Your Mind

You don't need a data analyst. You need one place where these 12 numbers live, updated weekly.

The simplest approach is a shared Google Sheet with columns for each KPI and rows for each week. Set traffic-light colours — green for on-target, amber for caution, red for action needed. Review it every Monday morning for 15 minutes.

More realistically, your repair shop management software should surface most of these automatically. A good platform will track ARV, repairs per day, turnaround time, parts usage, and conversion rates as part of normal operations. If yours doesn't, either your software is underperforming or you haven't configured it properly. See our repair shop management software guide for what to look for.

The KPIs you'll need to track manually, at least initially, are CLV, parts wastage, and Google review score. These need a bit more intentional data collection. Build the habit before you build the automation.

Which KPIs Should You Fix First?

Not all problems are equal. Here's a prioritisation framework based on impact:

Gross margin below 40%

Net profit margin below 10%

ARV below £70

Enquiry-to-booking conversion below 35%

Repairs per day consistently under 8

First-time fix rate below 80%

Google review score below 4.3

Turnaround time above 48 hours for standard repairs

CLV below £150

CAC by channel

Parts wastage rate

Staff utilisation

If you're below target on more than four of the above simultaneously, the problem is likely systemic — either under-pricing, under-marketing, or operational inefficiency. In that case, start with a full operations review before trying to fix individual KPIs in isolation.

The Hidden KPI Most Shops Ignore

There's one metric I haven't listed above because it isn't easily quantifiable, but every experienced operator knows it matters: owner capacity.

If you're doing 60-hour weeks because you're also the primary technician, the manager, the sales person, and the accountant, your other KPIs will deteriorate over time regardless of how good they look today. Burnout is the silent killer of otherwise viable repair businesses.

The goal of tracking these 12 KPIs is not to create more work. It's to create clarity — so you know where to spend your limited time and energy, and where to stop losing money quietly.

When your numbers are healthy and your systems are running, you get to step back from the daily grind and think about growth. That's the version of this business worth building.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good average repair value for a phone repair shop?

How many repairs per day does a repair shop need to be profitable?

What is a good first-time fix rate for a repair shop?

How do I improve my repair shop's enquiry-to-booking conversion rate?

What gross margin should a repair shop target?

How do I track KPIs without expensive software?

What is a realistic net profit margin for a repair shop?

Ready to automate your repair shop operations? Start your free cellbot trial and see how AI-powered workflow automation saves hours every week.

Summary: Your 12 KPI Targets at a Glance

These numbers won't fix themselves. But once you're watching them, you'll be surprised how quickly the obvious fixes reveal themselves. The shops I've seen struggle most aren't struggling because they lack skill or drive — they're struggling because they can't see the problem clearly.

Start with the two or three KPIs furthest from target. Build simple measurement habits around them. Review weekly. Improve incrementally.

If you want software that makes this easier — one dashboard, all 12 metrics, no manual calculation — take a look at what cellbot tracks automatically. We built it because I spent too many years doing this by hand.

See cellbot's pricing and plans

More on operations and inventory: Running a Profitable Repair Shop: The Operations Playbook · Repair Shop Inventory Management: Stop Losing Money on Parts · OEM vs Aftermarket Parts: The Complete Guide for Repair Shops · Phone Repair Parts Suppliers: Finding Reliable Sources in 2026