The app has been developed by Illinois-based OpinionLab, which makes systems for gathering customer feedback.

“The consumer voice has never been stronger, given the proliferation of blogs, review sites, and social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter,” said Rand Nickerson, OpinionLab’s CEO. “But in commenting on customer experience, many people prefer to talk to businesses or brands directly.”

When a user opens the app or accesses the DialogCentral website on their smartphone, the system uses the phone’s geolocation to bring up a list of nearby businesses from which the user picks which one they want to provide feedback on. They can submit ratings and open text comments, which are then passed on to the company in question.

Nickerson said the new tool gives consumers a way to provide feedback on any business at any time, from any place.

“We deliver that input directly to the people in charge… You can share immediate and direct feedback while shopping, dining, travelling or even waiting in line at the bank.”

Feedback is passed on to all businesses, but those that are already clients of OpinionLab’s services will have access to advanced features and analytics services on top of the raw data.

Any smartphone can be used to access the website, and OpinionLab is planning to launch dedicated apps for more models of phone “in the coming months”.