Optional fields are not optional?

I’d like to capture a user first name if possible (mostly to help sort chats by visitor, but also in case the bot is smart enough to be polite). However, if I add a field for first name and make it optional, there appears to be no way to start asking the bot questions without providing a name. I don’t want the user to feel pressured or required to give their name, just to offer the option.

Maybe I’m missing something (a page with several example workflows would be super helpful).