Debt collecting with charm and persistence

Singapore

WHEN one thinks of debt collectors, the image of burly men heavily clad in tattoos comes to mind. Commonly stigmatised as loansharks or "Ah Longs", Singapore debt collectors are hoping to clear their name.

Yvonne Ho, chief executive of Singapore Debt Collection Service, says: "People often mistake us as 'Ah Longs' because of the way we look, but we operate on a very different set of guidelines. As a legal entity, there are boundaries we cannot cross - vandalism of property, the use of violence and vulgarities are strictly prohibited."