This paper will provide the top takeaways from the insightful the 18h Annual Customer Contact West: A Frost & Sullivan Executive MindXchange and showcase some real-life examples of companies that successfully managed the challenges that COVID-19 brought forth and their plans to manage through the economic downturn companies are dealing with today. The most prominent themes include: - shifting to hybrid models and flexible scheduling to retain employees - keeping remote employees engaged - onboarding and training remote and the next generation of employees in an effective way - infusing AI to improve customer and agent experiences - deploying self-service capabilities while maintaining brand loyalty - hiring best practices - the value of emotional intelligence and empathy Learn about the challenges and successes contact centers have faced over the past year, and what they intend to tackle in 2023. Author: Alpa Shah