Dashboard Metrics - Key Numbers Explained
Dashboard Metrics Explained
The reports dashboard shows your most important business numbers at a glance. Here's what each metric means and how to interpret it.
Hero Cards
The large cards at the top show your primary KPIs:
Gross Revenue
What it is: Total amount charged to customers before any refunds.
Why it matters: Shows your total sales volume.
Example: $15,450 gross revenue means customers paid $15,450 total.
Net Revenue
What it is: Gross revenue minus refunds.
Why it matters: This is your actual earned revenue.
Calculation:
Net Revenue = Gross Revenue - Refunds
Example: $15,450 gross - $800 refunds = $14,650 net
Orders
What it is: Number of completed transactions (carts).
Why it matters: Shows booking volume independent of dollar amounts.
Average Order Value (AOV)
What it is: Average revenue per order.
Calculation:
AOV = Net Revenue ÷ Orders
Why it matters: Higher AOV means customers are spending more per booking. Increase it with add-ons, longer durations, or premium units.
Financial Metrics
Refunds
What it is: Total amount refunded to customers.
Why it matters: High refunds may indicate cancellation issues or service problems.
Taxes Collected
What it is: Sales tax collected from customers.
Why it matters: You're responsible for remitting this to tax authorities.
Platform Fees
What it is: RecSystems platform fees on your transactions.
Why it matters: Understand your net-net after all fees.
Processing Fees
What it is: Stripe payment processing fees.
Typical rate: ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Outstanding Balance
What it is: Amounts owed by customers (unpaid deposits, balances).
Why it matters: Track what you're owed and follow up on collections.
Operational Metrics
Utilization Rate
What it is: Percentage of available rental time that's booked.
Calculation:
Utilization = Booked Hours ÷ Available Hours × 100%
Example: If a unit is available 40 hours/week and booked for 30 hours:
30 ÷ 40 × 100% = 75% utilization
Benchmarks:
- 50-60% = Good for most rental businesses
- 70-80% = Excellent
- 90%+ = Consider adding inventory
Vacancy Rate
What it is: Opposite of utilization—time with no bookings.
Calculation:
Vacancy Rate = 100% - Utilization
Cancellation Rate
What it is: Percentage of bookings that were cancelled.
Calculation:
Cancellation Rate = Cancelled Bookings ÷ Total Bookings × 100%
Benchmarks:
- Under 10% = Normal
- 10-20% = Worth investigating
- Over 20% = Review policies and customer experience
No-Show Rate
What it is: Percentage of reserved bookings where customer didn't arrive.
Why it matters: No-shows waste capacity. Consider no-show fees or stricter policies.
Add-on Attach Rate
What it is: Percentage of bookings that include add-ons.
Why it matters: Add-ons increase revenue without new bookings. Low attach rate = opportunity.
Performance Metrics
RevPAUH (Revenue Per Available Unit Hour)
What it is: Revenue efficiency metric borrowed from hospitality. Shown in unit performance reports (not the main KPI dashboard).
Calculation:
RevPAUH = Net Revenue ÷ Total Available Unit Hours
Example: $10,000 revenue with 500 available unit-hours:
$10,000 ÷ 500 = $20 RevPAUH
Why it matters: Combines pricing and utilization into one metric. Increase it by raising prices or improving utilization.
Where to find it: Unit Performance reports and per-unit breakdowns.
Fleet Yield
What it is: Percentage of potential revenue you're actually capturing.
Calculation:
Fleet Yield = Actual Revenue ÷ Potential Revenue × 100%
Potential revenue assumes 100% utilization at full prices.
Booking Velocity
What it is: 7-day trend of new bookings.
Why it matters: Shows momentum. Increasing velocity = growing demand.
Turnover Rate
What it is: Average number of rentals per unit per week.
Why it matters: Higher turnover = more efficient use of inventory.
Trend Indicators
Comparison Arrows
Each metric shows a comparison to the previous period:
| Arrow | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | Green | Improvement |
| ↓ | Red | Decline |
| → | Gray | No significant change |
Percentage Change
Next to the arrow, you'll see the percentage change:
$15,450 ↑ 12%
This means revenue is up 12% compared to the comparison period.
Comparison Periods
Choose your comparison:
- YoY (Year-over-Year) — Same period last year
- Previous Period — Preceding period of equal length
Customer Metrics
Repeat Customer Rate
What it is: Percentage of customers who've booked before.
Why it matters: Repeat customers are more valuable and cost less to acquire.
Benchmark: 20-30% is typical for healthy rental businesses.
Customer Segments
Reports break down customers into:
- New — First-time bookers
- Returning — Booked 2-3 times
- Loyal — 4+ bookings
Lead Time Distribution
What it is: How far in advance customers book.
Common patterns:
- Last-minute (0-3 days)
- Short-term (4-14 days)
- Advance (15-30 days)
- Far advance (30+ days)
Why it matters: Helps with pricing strategy (early bird vs. last-minute deals).
Time Intelligence
Revenue by Day of Week
Shows which days generate the most revenue. Typical pattern:
- Weekends = highest
- Midweek = lowest
Action: Create weekday promotions to even out demand.
Demand Heatmap
Visual grid showing booking volume by:
- Hour of day (rows)
- Day of week (columns)
Darker cells = more bookings. Identify peak times and slow periods.
Understanding Your Numbers
Good Signs
- ↑ Net Revenue
- ↑ Utilization
- ↑ Repeat Customer Rate
- ↑ Average Order Value
- ↓ Cancellation Rate
- ↓ Vacancy Rate
Warning Signs
- ↓ Revenue with same bookings (pricing issue)
- ↑ Cancellation Rate (policy or experience issue)
- ↓ Add-on Attach Rate (missed upsell opportunity)
- ↑ Outstanding Balance (collection issue)
Taking Action
When metrics decline:
- Identify the cause
- Review recent changes
- Consider promotions or policy adjustments
- Ask Rex for suggestions
Related Articles
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the green arrow next to revenue mean?
Why is my utilization low?
What's a good Average Order Value?
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