Margaret's Musing: Reflections and Pursuit of Excellence
This quarter, I was honored to be recognized for my 45th anniversary with Raymond James. Since the firm was founded in 1962, we’ve had only four CEOs—and I am one of the very few who has worked with all four.
Sadly, our founder, Bob James, has passed away, however, I was fortunate to have been mentored by Bob. Here I am with the three CEOs who followed Bob:
Paul Shoukry; Tom James, Paul Reilly (from left to right).
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Customer Service, and Why People Still Matter
With the recent and sudden news abroad, many of us have also been reading headlines about artificial intelligence (AI) replacing workers and causing widespread layoffs. That concern grew stronger when Block (formerly Square) announced it was laying off 40% of its employees. Most of us know Square from the payment processors used in many restaurants and small businesses.
While I don’t make predictions, I do know this: Great service still matters.
And in my experience, companies that let you speak to a real person tend to leave you far more satisfied—even if the answer is sometimes “no.”
A recent experience brought this home:
Our office placed a sizable order with See’s Candies to be delivered to my home. When it arrived, all I received was an envelope with the shipping paperwork…no candy at all.
I tried contacting UPS online—no luck. The robo‑assistant couldn’t understand my issue, and I couldn’t reach a human being. I filed a claim, and later received an email confirming the package was “delivered,” along with a photo of…the same envelope. Not exactly helpful.
So I called See’s directly.
A real person answered. She listened, checked the order, confirmed the problem, and immediately shipped a replacement. It arrived the next day. I remain a very happy See’s customer.
Years ago, if an online tool couldn’t solve your issue, you could still reach a human being who would. That’s becoming rare. And it makes me wonder whether some systems are designed to say “no” first.
With a person, you can explain your situation. You can ask for a supervisor. You can make your case. And often—that makes all the difference
The Human Touch in Our Practice
In my own practice, I’ve always believed in being reachable. Early on, I became known as the “two‑ring” person. I didn’t allow voicemail during business hours; the phone had to be answered by the second ring, by anyone on the team.
Technology has reduced call volume as clients can now check accounts anytime online, but we still try our absolute best to answer by the third ring—even if we need to briefly place you on hold.
I appreciate what AI has enabled. It has made our work more efficient and given us more time to focus on what truly matters—you. But I remain convinced that companies who put client service first will always outperform those focused on efficiency alone.
At Raymond James, I’m proud that the firm is using AI thoughtfully—balancing innovation with increased employee training, so our teams stay knowledgeable and ready to help.
A Must‑Read for Every Family
Before closing, I want to share an important article from The Wall Street Journal:
“The Date-Night Talk Every Couple Needs: Passwords, Online Accounts and More.”
Even in well-organized families, settling an estate comes with a long list of challenges. As a financial planner, I believed Roger and I had everything in order. He managed most of our bill‑paying, banking, and subscriptions. He kept meticulous records, and I knew where he stored his passwords. My daughter could access his computer. Everything seemed to be running smoothly.
But as I discovered, you don’t know what’s missing until you need it.
We still haven’t resolved one major issue:
We always believed our safe deposit box was jointly owned. Roger was the one who visited the bank, so I rarely saw the paperwork. After he passed, I went to the bank—only to learn the box was listed solely in his name.
During a bank merger, the title must have been transferred incorrectly. Roger never noticed that the statements were coming only in his name. And I never saw the statements.
As a result, I now need a court order to access the box, and I don’t even know whether it contains anything important. Thankfully, Roger had recently removed all our estate documents to review—they were still sitting on his desk.
I still don’t have the court order.
And yes…I’m still paying for the box.
The takeaway: Read the WSJ article. Have the conversations. Follow the advice. It can save your family time, stress, and unnecessary complications.
Final Thoughts
Thank you, as always, for your trust and the opportunity to serve you. Personal relationships—and real conversations—remain at the heart of everything we do. We’re here for you whenever you need us, and your call will always be answered by a real person ready to help.
Margaret C. Starner, CFP®
Senior VP - Financial Planning
2333 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 500
Coral Gables, FL 33134
305-461-6660
www.starnergroup.com
BARRON'S Hall Of Fame Advisor - Inducted in 2019
Barron’s 2025 Top 1200 Financial Advisor
Forbes 2026 BEST-IN-STATE Wealth Advisor list
Investment News 2020 Lifetime Achievement in Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Award
Investment News 2025 The Alexandra Armstrong Award For Lifetime Achievement in the Financial Services Industry
2026 Forbes America's Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams, developed by Shook Research, is based on the period from 3/31/2024 to 3/31/2025 and was released on 1/7/2026. Approximately 12,787 team nominations were received and 6,149 advisor teams won. Neither Raymond James nor any of its advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award. More: https://bit.ly/4rXUfUA. Please see https://bit.ly/40mwRVe for more info.
