"I used to be a stay at home mom. Now that I have a teenager, I'm a stay in the car mom!"

I've been dealing with a particularly difficult customer lately. Have you ever had a customer who you wanted to please so much, yet whatever you did, it never seemed to be enough? It seems that no matter what I do, I can never make her happy.

I do more for her than I've ever done for anyone else, and she does show glimmers of appreciation. Yet lately, nothing I do seems to be good enough. The other night I ran into her at a social gathering and she walked by me as if I didn't exist. She spent the night avoiding me, pretending she didn't even know me. She acts as if she doesn't want to be seen in my presence.

When she comes to me with a problem, I give her my opinion on the best course of action. Then what does she do do? Exactly the opposite of what I've told her, with the expected disastrous results. And then she has the nerve to come to me, cry on my shoulder, and ask me to pick up the pieces.

But I consider my work with this customer to be THE most important job I have ever done, so I'm willing to put up with the frustrations. I need to see this project through, and I'm determined that we can work together to reach a successful conclusion.

Would you work with such a customer? No? Well, if you have young children, get ready, your tough customer is right around the corner, and he or she will be knocking on your door sooner than you think.

My tough customer? My teenage daughter. Even with the ups and downs, working with her really is a joy. She's full of surprises, and she keeps me on my toes. Actually I think she is preparing me to be a better business woman. Any business challenge I may face in the future has got to be easier than this!

Cheryl Demas is the publisher of WAHM.com - the online magazine for work at home moms, http://www.wahm.com She is also the author of "The Work-at-Home Mom's Guide to Home Business: Stay at Home and Make Money with WAHM.com"

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