Every morning, driver Debra Pisel reminds herself of the famous Maya Angelou quote: “People won’t remember what you’ve said or what you did. But they’ll always remember how you made them feel.”
For Debra, these words provide direction better than any GPS could. Over her 8,500-plus Lyft rides, she’s shown each of her passengers care — when driving people to the airport, she asks if they have their ID, keys, phone, and wallet and if they made sure their flight hasn’t been delayed. When picking up riders from the airport, or others new to the area, she plays tour guide. When she drives seniors, a common demographic in Arizona, she waits patiently for them to reach the vehicle and makes sure to strike up a conversation. “We’ll talk about loneliness and wanting to get out with their sweetheart and go watch a movie and have dinner, but they don’t drive anymore,” she says.
And at a time when trust in others is on the decline in the U.S., Debra’s actions are enough to restore riders’ faith in humanity. It’s likely why she has been “favorited,” a new feature that means Lyft riders are more likely to get their driver again, by hundreds of riders in Arizona — making her the most “favorited” driver in the state.
Debra, originally from Japan and the Bay Area, started driving as a way to get to know her new home. She outfitted her car with a box, lodged securely in the vehicle’s console, and keeps it stocked with snacks: popular options like Rice Krispies Treats, Japanese treats that reflect her heritage, date-night packages of candy and popcorn (Arizona summers proved too hot for chocolates). She also decorates it periodically to reflect a theme, like an upcoming holiday or the 1980s or ’90s, the decades in which she grew up. (She also plays music to match, a charming — and popular — extra touch.)
Another extra touch: She keeps waterproof blankets on hand, just in case, for her favorite type of rider: the four-legged kind. “I love the furry animals,” she says. “I don’t care about the mess they make. I love them.”
These actions have made Debra stick out to those in the community of Chandler, Arizona. “I’ve been in a store,” Debra recalls, “and someone heard my voice and was like, ‘Are you a driver with Lyft?’ ”
It turns out her riders really do remember how she made them feel — and how she sounded while she did it.
