How bol uses AI for a better customer journey and why you can too!

For Erick Webbe, Head of Data Science at bol, AI is not a hype, but a practical way to do business smarter. Driven by his curiosity about how things work, he has been building AI solutions for years that make bol more efficient, sustainable, and customer-focused. 

AI has become indispensable for bol. “The power of AI is that you can offer a personalized customer journey to every customer. And that we can deliver reliably and efficiently with minimal emissions.” It is also used to keep the platform clean. “For example, we use AI to stop offering single-use plastics or items that do not align with our policy. We can no longer

manually check all of these.”

Erick wants to empower people to use AI effectively and safely. “That starts with education, the right tools, and examples. You need to show what it can do for someone, not just explain how it works.” The barrier is lower than ever. “You can simply enter prompts in Dutch or English. That makes the technology much more accessible,” says Erick.

His message to entrepreneurs is clear: “Just start experiencing what this technology can do. Then you’ll notice how accessible it actually is. There are plenty of places where you can chat with AI for free, or have a video or music piece created. Something is possible for every field. The best thing you can do? Start experimenting. That’s where you learn the most.”

For several years, bol has been a knowledge partner of SME-Netherlands and also a proud 'MogelijkMaker' (Enabler) of the SME Entrepreneurs Festival. As a leading player in the e-commerce sector, bol believes it is important to support and inspire entrepreneurs together with SME-Netherlands.