1. Kubernetes services can be used to abstract external dependencies like databases and SaaS services, decoupling consumers from providers. 2. For databases, a service allows using a single-instance container database in test environments instead of a production cluster, without consumers needing different configurations. 3. For SaaS services, an ExternalName service type maps the service to the real URL in production but to a virtualization pod in tests, providing fake responses without consumers knowing.