Another problem accessing a SQL backend.... please help

The first time I issue SQLEXEC it always fails. If I reissue the same command a second time, it will succeed. What an I doing wrong?

&& first I connect using a named connection
this.SQLConnect=SQLCONNECT("USTFiles") && this always works

&& then I try to retrieve data
lnSuccess=SQLEXEC(this.SQLConnect,"SELECT * FROM customer","Cust")

&& lnSuccess has a value of Zero and no data is selected.
&& Then I reissue the command
lnSuccess=SQLEXEC(this.SQLConnect,"SELECT * FROM customer","Cust")