Agentic AI is pushing retail customer experience beyond the limits of scripted chatbots, and Gilbert Gooijers, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at CM.com, says the shift is closer than many leaders think. In conversation with CX Today’s Nicole Willing, Gooijers breaks down what makes agentic AI different from standard large language model deployments, and why retailers should stop treating automation like a single bot that needs to “know everything.”
Instead, he argues for a multi-agent approach, where different agents have clear roles, access to the right data, and the tools to complete tasks across service, marketing, and commerce. The result is a more natural customer journey that feels less like a handoff between systems and more like a continuous conversation, especially when delivered through the channels customers already prefer.
Gooijers also shares examples of how these systems can reduce pressure on customer service operations, including use cases that combine guided shopping support with quality control and escalation where it matters. He emphasizes that the channel strategy matters as much as the AI itself, pointing to experiences built in WhatsApp, RCS (Rich Communication Services), and voice, depending on the customer and the moment.
But the opportunity comes with a warning. As agents become more capable and more connected to business systems, governance and security cannot be an afterthought. Gooijers is direct about what should keep retail leaders up at night:
