Granting Extensions
Sometimes customers need more time. Good Plan makes it easy to grant extensions while keeping everything documented.
When to Grant Extensions
Consider extensions when:
- Customer communicates a temporary hardship
- They've been making regular payments but hit a rough patch
- They're proactive about communicating issues
- The relationship is worth maintaining
How to Grant an Extension
- Go to the active plan in your dashboard
- Find the payment that needs extension
- Click Grant Extension
- Choose new due date
- Add optional note explaining the extension
- Confirm
What Happens Next
- Customer is automatically notified
- Future payments may shift (optional)
- The change is documented in the plan history
- Check-ins adjust to new due date
Extension Best Practices
Be Generous (Within Reason): If someone asks for help, try to accommodate
Document Everything: Use the notes field to record why the extension was granted
One Payment at a Time: Grant extensions for one payment, not the entire plan
Watch for Patterns: One extension is understanding. Multiple may signal a need to restructure the plan
Communication Matters
When granting an extension:
- Keep the tone positive and understanding
- Acknowledge their communication
- Reinforce that you're working together
- Be clear about new expectations
Example note: "No problem at all - I've moved your payment to June 15th. Thanks for letting me know!"
Restructuring vs. Extensions
If a customer needs multiple extensions:
- Consider proposing a restructured plan
- Maybe longer terms with smaller payments
- Better to adjust once than grant constant extensions
You can always create a new plan to replace an active one.
Good Plan's Philosophy
We believe most people want to pay what they owe. Life happens. Being flexible and understanding often leads to better outcomes than being rigid.
Extensions are a feature, not a bug. Use them!