接待员是指于门前接待的人员，以前又称为知客，例如于寺庙接待信众的僧人称为知客僧。知客一词现时仍常见于香港及澳门，在中国大陆的一些大城市也可见到。

知客一词可见于《水浒传》第六回：“僧门中职事人员，各有头项。且如小僧，做个知客，只理会管待往来客官僧众。”在香港与澳门，知客通常专指在食肆或娱乐场所门前接待顾客、派筹（安排顾客进场入座）的职员，多数是女性，中式酒楼知客的制服通常是旗袍，标准对白是：「先生（小姐）早晨，请问几多位？」（「几多」是粤语，意即「多少」）。日本料理店的知客通常身穿和服，客人进门时会作九十度鞠躬，并以日语说「欢迎光临」（いらっしゃいませ），其他行业从事接待客人的职员的则称为接待员或公关。

A receptionist is an employee taking an office/administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office desk of an organization or business. The title "receptionist" is attributed to the person who is employed by an organization to receive or greet any visitors, patients, or clients and answer telephone calls. The term Front Desk is used in many hotels for an administrative department where a receptionist's duties also may include room reservations and assignment, guest registration, cashier work, credit checks, key control as well as mail and message service. Such receptionists are often called front desk clerks.