Repeat Rate
Repeat rate is the share of your clients who hire you again. A high repeat rate means you spend less on winning new clients, because past work keeps bringing itself back.
What it means
It is a simple ratio: clients who came back, divided by total clients. It is one of the few numbers that shows whether your follow-up habits work. It does not just show whether the work was good. Good work with no follow-up does not turn into repeat business by itself. Someone usually has to ask, or at least stay in touch.
A thank-you, a seasonal check-in, or a simple “still doing okay, need anything?” months later are small, boring habits. They move this number. The client does not need to have been unhappy about anything. Most repeat business comes from staying the obvious choice when the next need comes up.
Out of 40 clients you worked for last year, 14 booked you again for a different job. That is a 35% repeat rate. Track it year over year to see if your follow-up habits work.
Assuming good work creates repeat business with no follow-up. Most clients do not think of you again just because the last job went well. The next call often goes to whoever they remember.
See also
Where this shows up
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- guide What to do after the job — the follow-up that wins the next one One routine covers the thank-you, the review ask, and the referral ask.
- tool Client follow-up planner Enter the date a job finished. You get six follow-ups as real dates: thank-you, review ask, nudge, referral, check-in, and win-back. Copy them or add them to your calendar.
- tool Job profit check Enter the price you charged, your direct costs, and the hours the job took. Hours include site, travel, quoting, and admin. The tool shows the real hourly rate against your target.