What is the difference between customer notes and file notes?

Customer notes appear only in the customer area. Add customer notes by going to  customer > customer list > then selecting the customer information icon next to the customer name on the right hand side of the screen

The  event file notes that appear in the customer area are the notes that you have entered at the event level, in the event details under file notes. They are automatically date stamped and show in the customer area. This shows you a full history of all your file notes with the customer.