Add a navigation button to the toolbar for opening the contacts page. Add a search feature on the contacts list that filters the contacts list in a larger area than the top search bar. The top search bar search is not a good way to see a list of contacts that comes up in the search for a name or address. Search filters in general need to be better.
I have had a Contacts button in the tool bar a time or two and it has always disappeared soon after appearing. My sales people also find this annoying because they like to create contacts from the Contacts page instead of in the Job Creation process.