Relief from credit card obligations

An excerpt from MSN.com:

If you are in a financial jam and need a bit of relief from your credit card obligations:
Stop using the card and adding to the balance due. You don't want your card issuer to think you're taking advantage of the situation.
Call the customer-service number listed on the back of your card.
Explain your situation calmly. If you've had a good payment record in the past, emphasize that to the customer-service agent. Ask to be considered for the company's forbearance or relief programs. It's really as simple as that. "If you think you're going to have difficulty staying current with your payments, reach out to your card issuer," said Bank of America's Riess. "If customers believe they're having problems, we want to try to help them."