When Jelle has time off, his colleagues miss him

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“This is for you! Thank you so much for your help.” 

A kimono brought home from Thailand is one of the more special gifts that Jelle Feike Oenema has received from a satisfied customer. The service branch adviser from Nordea in Silkeborg regularly – often several times a month – receives cakes or chocolate from customers that he has helped.

“I got the kimono because I had helped the customer before she went to Thailand. And then she thought I should have it. It was a nice gift,” says Jelle Feike Oenema.

“I’m not usually a very emotional guy, but I was quite moved,” says Jelle Feike Oenema about when he was surprised og told he was among the six winners of this year's Skulderklappet Prize.

He often receives customers at the counter and likes the dialogue with many different kinds of people: 

“We have all kinds of customers; old, young and also vulnerable citizens. Sometimes a bit of extra patience and assistance is needed, but I have no problems with that, says the service branch adviser, who has spent many hours helping disgruntled customers who had problems with MitID.

Even when he is not on duty at the counter, customers seek him out. They spot him in the room and go to talk to him at his desk. His welcoming and friendly demeanour often encourages customers to tell him a little story about their lives, and he is happy to listen.

“Some customers are quick to bond with me when I help them.” 

The colleagues surprised Jelle Feike Oenema in November with a breakfast event when he won the Skulderklappet Prize.

Customers and colleagues love him

His colleagues greatly appreciate Jelle Feike Oenema for his ability to calm down frustrated customers at the counter and generally for his personality and attitude, which has a really positive impact on the atmosphere at the workplace:

“When a customer is difficult to deal with, we usually say that Jelle can take care of him. He has some very special skills. He has a calm and understated way about him; the customers love him,” says his leader, branch office manager Mette Lundkær Dam. 

And his colleagues appreciate Jelle so much that they nominated him for the Skulderklap Prize. In their recommendation they wrote that they notice when he is not at work; then something important is missing.

“I’m very happy that my colleagues think about me that way. I just think that I’m doing my job.” 
That’s why he was surprised when it was announced at a morning meeting that he had won the prize. The colleagues at the branch office in Galten were also there and kept hidden until it was revealed that he was the winner of the Skulderklap Prize. The red carpet was rolled out in the canteen and breakfast was served. 

“I’m not usually a very emotional guy, but I was quite moved,” says the popular, Dutch-born prize winner.

Spreads positivity and energy

He arrived in Denmark as a 12-year-old when his parents bought a farm here.

“At the beginning I didn’t understand much at school. Everything was in Danish. But all my friends only spoke Danish, so I soon caught up,” says the now 37-year-old Jelle Feike Oenema in completely accent-free Danish.  

He has worked at Nordea since 2008 and lives in Silkeborg with his girlfriend and their two children aged two and five, who keep him busy. Even when he has to drop off the kids at day-care on the way to work, he takes the time to stop at the baker’s to buy fresh bread for his colleagues.

“Jelle is a fantastic colleague who is always spreading good cheer. He is always ready for a bit of joking around although he works very hard at helping our customers at the counter,” his colleagues wrote in their nomination. They believed he was an obvious candidate for the prize – and so did Finansforbundet in Nordea.

Apart from the honour Jelle Feike Oenema – and the other winners – will receive 5,000 kroner and will meet for a celebratory lunch on 12 January.

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