Hi @GSum2 and welcome, we are delighted to have you here! 
Thank you for asking the HubSpot Community!
I’d love to put you in touch with some of our Top Experts and Community Members: Hi @pashairshad, @Humashankar, @istlaurent, @PascG, @himanshurauthan, @HubDoPete and @CDean are you experiencing the same as @GSum2 when merging contacts? Do you have workarounds or suggestions to help @GSum2, please?
Also @GSum2, thanks for the valuable feedback, I have shared it internally.
Have a fantastic day and thanks so much for your insights! 
Best,
Bérangère