Callbacks silently eat contractor margin. Log them by job type, see the true cost per revenue dollar, and benchmark against the trades — then stop the bleed.
Add a row for each service line. Enter total jobs completed, callbacks on those jobs, average ticket revenue, and your average cost to handle one callback (parts + labor + truck). Data saves automatically.
| Job type | Jobs | Callbacks | Avg revenue | Avg CB cost |
|---|
Select a job type to compare its callback rate against your blended average and see how many fewer callbacks you’d need to hit a 2% target.
Select a job type above.
callback rate = callbacks ÷ jobs completed
Expressed as a percentage. A blended rate aggregates all job types into a single figure. Per-type rates let you isolate problem areas.
cost per $1 revenue = total callback cost ÷ total revenue
Shown in cents (¢). This normalizes callback cost across high-ticket and low-ticket trades so you can compare apples to apples. A shop doing $3,000 HVAC installs and $400 service calls sees the true margin drag of each line.
A callback generates zero new revenue. The cost — labor, truck, parts, dispatch — comes entirely from the profit you already booked on the original job. Two callbacks on thin-margin work can erase the net profit from five good completions.
Any return trip to fix, adjust, or redo work that was already invoiced and paid. This includes failed parts, incorrect installations, noise or comfort complaints, and any rework within your warranty window. If you rolled a truck and didn’t bill new revenue, it’s a callback.
Start with a simple tally on your dispatch board or a shared spreadsheet. Every time a tech goes back to a completed job without a new invoice, mark it. Even one month of honest counting reveals patterns. This tool saves your data in the browser so you can update as you go.
Residential HVAC install callbacks typically run 3–7%, service repairs 2–5%. Plumbing tends toward 2–4% for standard repairs. Electrical is often the lowest at 1–3%. Anything consistently above 5% signals a systemic quality or training gap worth investigating.
Yes. A callback generates zero new revenue but costs you labor, truck, parts, and dispatch — all over again. Every dollar of callback cost is subtracted directly from the net margin you earned on the original job. On thin-margin work, two callbacks can erase the profit from five good jobs.
Monthly is ideal for most shops. Update your job counts and callback counts at month-end, review per-type rates, and look for spikes. Quarterly is the minimum to catch trends before they become expensive habits.
Yes. Use the “Print summary” button to generate a clean, printer-friendly report with all job types, rates, costs, and benchmark verdicts. The print version hides interactive elements and is formatted for paper or PDF export via your browser’s print dialog.
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