I've never found a hairdresser who is confident in how to cut curly hair. Sophie did the best she could and did keep checking if the cut was going in the right direction, so I can't fault her for trying and actually listening rather than just plowing on. But there was a lot of discussion about how tricky / difficult curly hair is to cut. She initially suggested blow-drying it straight to see if the cut was even, which for the natural curly hair look that I was after, needing plenty unevennesses, worried me. But after discussion we concluded using a diffuser would be best.
I'll continue my search for a curly hair confident / experienced hair dresser.
Side note - not sure what the current set up with offering hot drinks, but I wasn't offered anything.
Not an completely unpleasant experience, just a bit disappointing for the price of the cut.