1. Enable Setting

2. Configure Follow up levels and actions To Do

3. Click on a line to add/edit Manual action

4. Customer Statements Explained

The 'Auto' button concerns the reminder (as stated by the label next to it). If you are in Auto, it means that this customer will show up in this follow-up list automatically the next time a "follow-up level" is reached. On the other hand, if "Manual" is selected, it opens a popup that allows you to manually specify when you want this customer to show up the next time in this follow-up list. The 'one week', 'two weeks', 'one month', and 'two months' buttons are just shortcuts to fill in the date field in that same popup.

The ‘action' in the follow-up level is an indicator of what the A/R person needs to do apart from sending an email at different levels. These are buttons that will log notes on customer contact record when action is logged.  Action 1 = Print Letter (download PDF), Action 2 = Send by Email (email will send without a pop-up to the email address on file), Manual Action 3 = Action to Do from Follow Up Level manual action. 

When actions are completed from the customer statement, they are logged in the chatter notes of the contact record.

After you’ve recorded at least 1 action, you have the option to mark as “Done” and it will be removed from the list. If you want to skip before performing any actions you can “Do It Later” and it will temporarily be removed from the list. 

Side note 1: Nothing ever sends email automatically when it comes to the follow-up management (unless you create automated actions and such, or if you use the new marketing automation for this kind of things).