Agent Configuration Guide

Overview

Configure your Monk collection agent to match your accounts receivable workflow. This guide covers all settings available in the Intelligent Collections Settings page, including follow-up timing, agent identity, and escalation rules. Properly configured agents help reduce DSO while maintaining professional customer relationships.

Accessing Agent Settings

Navigate to Collection agents in the sidebar - the settings are organized into three tabs: Follow-up, Agent, and Escalation.

Follow-up Settings

The Follow-up tab controls when and how your agent sends collection messages.

Initial Invoice Settings

First Follow-up Timing

The First follow-up setting determines when your agent sends the first follow-up relative to the invoice due date.

Auto-Send Follow-ups

Choose how the agent handles subsequent follow-up messages:

Follow-up Cadence

Set the number of business days between follow-up messages. The default is 4 days, which provides regular touchpoints without overwhelming customers.

• Shorter cadence (2-3 days): More aggressive collection for high-value invoices

• Longer cadence (5-7 days): Gentler approach for relationship-sensitive accounts

Pause on New Contact Discovery

When enabled, the agent pauses automatic follow-ups when it discovers a new billing contact (from bounced emails or CC'd recipients). This allows you to review the new contact before the agent continues.

Agent Settings

The Agent tab customizes your agent's identity in customer communications.

Agent Name

The name used in email signatures and when the agent refers to itself. The default is "Julia" but you can change it to:

• Match an existing team member's name

• Use a generic name like "AR Team" or "Billing Team"

• Create a distinct persona for your collections

Tip: Using a consistent, human-sounding name builds familiarity with customers.

Email Signature

Create a custom signature appended to all collection emails. The signature editor supports rich text formatting including:

• Bold, italic, and underline text

• Links to your website or payment portal

• Company contact information

Example signature:

Best regards,
Julia
Accounts Receivable Team
Phone: (555) 123-4567
support@yourcompany.com

Escalation Settings

The Escalation tab defines what triggers escalation and what happens when conversations need human attention.

Custom Escalation Prompt

Enable this to define additional criteria beyond the default escalation triggers.

To configure:

1. Toggle Custom escalation prompt to ON

2. Enter your criteria in the text field using natural language

3. The AI evaluates messages against both default triggers AND your custom criteria

Example prompts:

• "Escalate if customer mentions legal action, lawyer, or lawsuit"

• "Escalate any request related to Project Alpha or Contract #12345"

• "Escalate if customer asks to speak with a manager"

Loop in Team Members

When enabled, specified team members are automatically added to escalated conversations via email.

To configure:

1. Toggle Loop in team members to ON

2. Enter an email address in the input field

3. Click Add to include the team member

4. Repeat for additional team members

5. Remove emails by clicking the X on the badge

Looped-in team members receive the full conversation thread and can take over communication directly.

Troubleshooting

Agent isn't drafting messages

Cause: Auto-draft may be disabled for initial invoices.

Fix: Enable "Auto-draft initial invoice" in Follow-up settings.

Follow-ups are sending too frequently

Cause: Cadence setting may be too short.

Fix: Increase the follow-up cadence to 4-5 business days in Follow-up settings.

Escalations aren't notifying the team

Cause: "Loop in team members" may be disabled or empty.

Fix: Enable the setting and add at least one email address in Escalation settings.