The Maine Toll Taker

In 1975, Joan and I flew back east from California to her home in Boston to visit with her family, then to drive up into Canada via Maine as a fall vacation.  We would be borrowing one of her parent’s cars to make the trip.

We set out from Boston to Maine on the first day with the plan to reach Bar Harbor that evening.  It would be a long drive.  Instead of driving the more scenic route all the way along the coast, we decided to take I-95 as far as we could, then cut off toward Bar Harbor.  I-95 in Maine is a toll road.

I was driving, while Joan checked the map for our exit.  As we approached Augusta, Joan gave the alert for the next exit and we cruised off toward the toll booth.  It was a long approach to the toll booth.  She looked closer at the map, and showed it to me with the idea that maybe we should go an exit or two further north.

At the toll booth, we encountered a man of medium height, age approximately 65, a pleasant round face, silver hair, thin wire rimmed glasses, and an absolute twinkle in his demeanor.  I asked if we might just do a turnaround and get back on the turnpike north.  And he just said, “ah, where yah goin” in his wonderful Maine accent.  Now I thought that was slightly nosy, and I felt pretty good about our ability to read a map, so I replied, “we just want to go 2 exits farther north.”  And he repeated politely “ah, where yah goin?”  OK, this isn’t going to work, so I fessed up “we’re going to Bar Harbor.”

At that point, he explained that “if I were you, I’d exit here, take Rt. 17 to the coast, then north along the coast thru Camden, and on to Bar Harbor.”  He pointed out that Camden is a very lovely town at this time of year.  Of course, I asked why I’d want to do that.  His answer was the most compelling rationale for directions I’ve ever heard.

“Ah,  … well,  … it’s  shortah,  … fastah,  … and pretty-ah.”  I can’t do full justice to the accent in writing.  It erased any doubt.  Off we went on a truly delightful drive.  Camden was indeed spectacular with fall colors.

Incidentally, it was the best marketing lesson I’ve experienced on how to state a product or service benefit.