Meet Joshua Hemmerling of iAutohaus European Car Sales & Service Center in Tempe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Hemmerling.

Joshua, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Started in high school working at a bicycle shop in Michigan selling & servicing modern and vintage high-end bicycles. During this I had become friends with a co-worker and his father owned a small vintage European specialty shop and I would go to work there often on the side. There is where I was introduced into the European car market. I had worked on anything from older Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Opel, Triumph, Lancia, Jaguar to Porsche and more. Throughout high school we would also do an internship at the shop and focus on an original Porsche 356 restoration. I knew I wanted to work with European cars at this point. After high school I moved from Michigan to Arizona and went to a technical college and earned a combinations associates degree in Automotive and Diesel. During school I knew I needed to get my foot in the door somewhere. I didn’t care what I did, mop floors, clean toilette’s I needed to prove myself & work ethic. I stumbled across iAutohaus. At the time they primarily focused on selling European cars and had a small shop in the back. I started there as a lot attendant and also inventory photographer. I wore many hats. Once graduated I wasn’t sure if I wanted to work on cars or go into management.

During this time there was an opportunity that opened up and was offered to me as a service advisor. I felt this would be a good move for me to get to management. In summary fast forward from there I worked as a service advisor and got promoted to assistant manager and then promoted to service manager over a period of 15 years and still going of my employment with iAutohaus. By that time, I had worn most of all the hats in the service department and was very well rounded in a lot of things and very sharp in others. Today and moving forward I embrace change I am open and eager to learning new things and I hit challenges head on. As the automotive industry gets more advanced it gives me the opportunity to sharpen my craft and I always try to stay in the forefront of technology as I know as far as independent shops as a whole, they are behind.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
At this point in my career I have made most of all the mistakes as anyone else has and I have learned from them. I quickly recognize any red flags moving forward and steer my team and I clear away from them and establish processes and procedures to prevent such encounters in the future. There have been many struggles along the way but when you struggle and you pull through it brings a sense of accomplishment and keeps you moving forward with momentum.

iAutohaus European Car Sales & Service Center – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
iAutohaus is an independent European specific automotive service and sales center. I manage the service department side of the business. In my department our biggest competitor is the franchise dealers like Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Audi, Jaguar, Maserati to name a few. We have strong roots in the local community and have built a large customer base and strong reputation. We pride ourselves on doing any repair the right way and with the right parts and at the right price. We are always continuing our education and staying on top of our craft. There is not much we can’t figure out no matter the complexity. All of our techs primarily come from franchise stores and have received certifications from the manufacturer they specialize in. Our advisor team also goes through training to ensure our clients have the best possible experience. We are in summary exceeding a franchise level experience at an independent price.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I feel success is define by the individual. Everyone has their own opinion as to what they feel is being successful. Personally, I feel my level of success changes as I obtain each level. I keep making goals for myself to try to keep achieving the highest level of success possible.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1876 E Broadway Rd. Tempe AZ 85282
• Website: iautohaus.com
• Phone: (480) 317-0783
• Email: service@iautohaus.com

Image Credit:
iAutohaus.com

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