Guides
A monthly KPI routine for a locksmith business
A monthly KPI routine for a locksmith business tracks callback rate, quote-to-arrival time and revenue per van so the owner fixes a cause, not a number.
What to take away
- Track five numbers monthlycallback rate, quote-to-arrival time, revenue per van, rekey-to-replacement mix, and average invoice by job type.
- A callback is a return trip with a trailer. It costs the second visit and the customer's trust.
- Read each number against your own last twelve months, never against another shop's figures.
- One person owns the review and writes down what changes before the next month closes.
- Confirm licensing, insurance and recordkeeping requirements with your state licensing board and a tax professional; they vary by state.
The five numbers and what each one tells you
Most shops already collect the raw data. It sits in the dispatch log, the invoice list and the parts drawer. The monthly routine is reading five of them together, because one number alone rarely names a cause. Your dispatch log also shows whether the software you use can track keying records and payment against real jobs.
Five KPIs and What They Reveal
KPI
- Callback rate
- Return visits / total jobs
- Quote-to-arrival time
- Median minutes quote to site
- Revenue per van
- Monthly revenue / vans in service
- Rekey-to-replacement mix
- Rekeys / cylinder work share
- Average invoice by job type
- Revenue / job count by category
How to Compute
- Callback rate
- Keying errors, worn cylinders, wrong blank
- Quote-to-arrival time
- Dispatch, routing, van stock gaps
- Revenue per van
- Whether second van earns its keep
- Rekey-to-replacement mix
- Whether techs sell cheaper fix
- Average invoice by job type
- Which work is worth the drive
What It Points At
- Callback rate
- Quote-to-arrival time
- Revenue per van
- Rekey-to-replacement mix
- Average invoice by job type
The five numbers
| Number | How to compute it | What it points at |
|---|---|---|
| Callback rate | Jobs requiring a return visit divided by total jobs | Keying errors, worn cylinders, wrong blank |
| Quote-to-arrival time | Median minutes from quote accepted to technician on site | Dispatch, routing, van stock gaps |
| Revenue per van | Monthly revenue divided by vans in service | Whether the second van earns its keep |
| Rekey-to-replacement mix | Rekeys as a share of cylinder work | Whether techs sell the cheaper fix |
| Average invoice by job type | Revenue divided by job count, split by category | Which work is worth the drive |
Callback rate moves first and matters most. A rekey fails from a worn cylinder or a transponder key cut from the wrong blank, sending a technician back to the same address.
That is a second trip, a second slot gone, and a customer doubting the first visit. Repeated callbacks often point to a training gap, so pair the number with a written sign-off before anyone works alone.
Run the review in one sitting
- Pull the month's job list and mark every job that needed a second visit. Write the cause beside each one: keying error, wrong blank, worn hardware, or customer misuse.
- Total the return trips and divide by total jobs. That is your callback rate for the month.
- Time the gap between quote accepted and arrival for every job. Take the median, not the average, because one all-day job skews a mean.
- Pull revenue by van and by job type from the invoice list.
- Compare all five against the same month last year and against the running twelve-month figure.
Two or three causes usually explain most callbacks. Fix the cause, not the number. If wrong blanks drive the returns, the fix is van stock and code-cutting discipline, not a talk about care.
Where the numbers come from
Dispatch software gives you arrival times and job counts. The invoice list gives revenue and job type. Van stock counts come from the drawer and the shelf. If you are choosing software, the locksmith software and KPI guide covers what each system actually reports.
Keep the records that support the review. The IRS explains which documents back up income, purchases and payroll in its guide to business records. If you store job data digitally, the NIST small business quick-start guides and CISA small business guidance cover basic account and device controls for a shop your size.
Turn the review into a decision
Let R be your callback rate and J your monthly job count. Return trips equal R times J. Multiply that by your cost per trip, covering fuel, technician time and the slot it consumed. That figure is what the cause is costing you each month. Substitute your own numbers.
Set one change per month. Write it down before the next review. If callback rate is the problem, try a van stock list.
If quote-to-arrival time is the problem, try a tighter dispatch zone. Staffing decisions from the numbers, like adding a technician to the after-hours rotation, are covered in how to hire reliable staff for a locksmith business.
Common questions
How many months before the numbers mean anything?
Three months shows a direction. Twelve months shows a season, which matters in a trade where moving season drives rekey work and winter drives lockouts. Read the first quarter as a baseline, not a verdict.
What if the numbers look fine but the shop feels busy?
Busy is not the same as profitable. Check revenue per van and average invoice by job type. A full schedule of low-value lockouts can leave less than a lighter schedule of commercial keying work.
Should I compare my figures to industry benchmarks?
No. Service mix, drive time and labor cost differ too much between markets for an outside figure to mean anything. Your own twelve-month line is the only fair comparison.
Who should run the review?
One person, usually the owner or the office manager, with the dispatch and invoice data in front of them. A review split across three people produces three versions of the same month.
