tough times demand NOT so tough techniques

It is a common misconception that a debt collector, whether with a collection agency or with a company collecting their own past due accounts will be more effective if they are hard nosed with the debtor.
That technique may work with a few people out there but for the most part and in this economy, you had better be nice and in a problem solving mode or your bill is going to the bottom of the pile to be paid.
What's one to do differently? Well, add persistance to your list of tools. In the past you may have contacted your accounts once a month, maybe twice and you were a little more firm with the terms of the debt on each call.
Consider calling more frequently, keeping the calls shorter and more relaxed in tone. After a while, your persistance will pay off in increased visibility. You can still manage the same number of accounts even though you are calling more often because you are spending less time on the phone.
Don't take my word for it, try it for two weeks to see if it helps and let me know how it worked out for you.