car rental advice...?

It looks like NL-ers are starting to trickle back to their old spring sun-stompin' grounds of Florida this year...actually more like a stampede!
We're heading down early May. Speaking to more than a few who've gone & back now, & more than one has a story to tell about delays and/ or problems getting their rental car when they get up to the counter. Rental companies were often a pain in the past, now I guess things are worse.
It's all you need after a 13-hour travel day(if we're lucky!) that starts about 3am, from NL to Toronto to Tampa!
Any tips for anything I could /should do BEFORE I get to the counter to try to head off problems and make things go smoothly?
I was thinking of trying to phone the airport location directly the day before, to try to sweet-talk or bribe the mgr. or somebody to take pity on us & see that they simply fulfill their obligation & have our car ready when we get there...
Any other suggestions?

 

I see it’s been a while since you've posted, but I just wanted to ask if anyone has had recent experience using Turo instead of traditional rentals. I've heard good things, but I'm curious how it compares in terms of insurance coverage and deposit amounts. Also wondering how credit card insurance works with Turo, if at all. Anyone here tried both and can share some pros and cons?

 

I skipped the rental completely last time I was in Florida and used miami limo service to get around. It cost a bit more than a rental but I didn’t have to worry about parking, tolls, or that crazy Miami traffic. Plus, I got picked up right at the airport with no waiting around. For shorter stays especially, it might be worth considering instead of dealing with rental car headaches.