Seeing the same thing in my area, and I've been doing this out of a van for about nine years now. My close rate on quotes has always sat around three out of four, but this month I'd say half the bigger jobs are just sitting there. Washers with bad bearings, a couple of dryer heating issues, even a fridge compressor job where the customer flat out told me the machine wasn't worth touching til after the holidays. That tracks with what the other poster said about people waiting to see what shows up on sale before committing either way. If they're debating a six hundred dollar repair versus a new machine, they want to know what the sale prices look like first. The smaller stuff is still moving fine for me. Belt swaps, door latches, drain pumps under a couple hundred, those get approved on the spot. It's only the jobs where the number starts looking like a down payment on a replacement that people freeze up.
One thing that's helped me lately is breaking the quote into what I'd actually call decision points. Instead of just handing over one number, I tell them what the part costs, what my labor looks like, and then what a comparable new machine runs with delivery and haul away tacked on. A lot of these folks genuinely don't know what a new washer costs these days, so the repair number floats in space and they can't judge it. Once they see the math in front of them, they either book it or they're honest that they'd rather roll the dice on a floor model deal next month. I've also started asking the quiet ones directly if money's the holdup or timing is. You'd be surprised how many just say yes, cash is tight right now, ask me again in January. At least then I know to follow up instead of assuming I got outbid by some other shop. If five of your last eight stalled, I'd guess it's the economy more than your pricing, expecially since the pattern changed suddenly. Same customers, same quotes, diffrent mood out there.